Honestly, if you spent any time on TikTok or X in late 2024, you probably saw it. Or at least heard the whispers. A grainy, behind-the-scenes clip from the set of It Ends With Us that seemed to confirm every nasty rumor we’d been hearing for months.
It wasn't just a video. It was the spark that turned a typical Hollywood "creative difference" into a full-blown legal war.
For the longest time, we all just thought it was about marketing. People were annoyed that Blake Lively was out here promoting hair care and floral dresses while the movie was literally about domestic violence. Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni was doing the heavy lifting, talking about trauma and survivors. The contrast was jarring. Then the video dropped in early 2025, and suddenly, the "mean girl" vs. "male feminist" narrative got a whole lot more complicated.
The Footage That Changed the Narrative
The blake lively justin baldoni video in question wasn't a leaked paparazzi clip. It was actually released by Baldoni’s own legal team in January 2025.
Wait. Why would he release it?
Because Lively had filed a massive lawsuit against him just weeks prior, accusing him of sexual harassment and creating a "hostile work environment." One of her specific claims involved a slow-dance scene. She alleged that Baldoni leaned in and "slowly dragged his lips" down her neck while whispering that she "smelled so good."
When the unedited footage hit the internet, the reaction was… divided. To put it mildly.
In the video, you see the two of them close together. Baldoni snuggles into her neck, but then he jokingly asks, "Am I getting beard on you today?" Lively laughs—genuinely, it seems—and says she’s probably getting spray tan on him. He mentions she smells good, and she replies it's just her body makeup.
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If you’re on Team Justin, that video is a "gotcha" moment. It looks like two professionals joking around. But if you’re on Team Blake, those high shoulders and that stiff body language tell a different story. Intimacy coordinators who weighed in later noted that while Baldoni might not have intended malice, Lively visibly looks tense.
It’s a classic case of two people experiencing the exact same moment in two completely different ways.
Why This Feud Exploded (Beyond the Video)
It’s easy to get hyper-focused on one clip, but the tension between these two started way before the cameras even rolled for that dance scene.
Baldoni bought the rights to Colleen Hoover’s book years ago. This was his baby. But then Blake Lively came on board as a producer. And Blake isn't just an actress; she’s a powerhouse with a very specific vision.
By the time post-production rolled around, there were reportedly two different cuts of the movie.
- The Baldoni Cut: Focused more on the cycle of abuse and the heavier themes.
- The Lively Cut: Edited by Shane Reid (who worked on Deadpool & Wolverine), which was the version that eventually hit theaters.
Throw Ryan Reynolds into the mix—who apparently rewrote a major chunk of the dialogue for the rooftop scene without the director even knowing—and you have a recipe for a total ego explosion. Imagine being the director of a film and finding out your lead actress’s husband is rewriting your script behind your back. You’d be pretty annoyed, right?
But then there are the darker allegations. Lively's lawsuit didn't just stop at "creative differences." She claimed Baldoni was obsessed with his own "pornography addiction" (his words, allegedly) and would bring it up constantly. She claimed he showed unwanted images to staff. She even alleged that he "fat-shamed" her by asking a trainer about her weight because he was worried about his back during a lifting scene.
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The $400 Million Counterpunch
Hollywood legal battles usually settle quietly behind closed doors. Not this one.
In response to Lively’s harassment suit, Baldoni fired back with a $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit. He basically accused Lively and Reynolds of "creatively hijacking" the film and then launching a "calculated smear campaign" to ruin his career when he tried to push back.
He even tried to subpoena Taylor Swift.
Yes, you read that right. Baldoni’s team claimed Lively used her "squad" and her massive public platform to bury him. It sounds like a plot from a Ryan Murphy show, but it was all playing out in federal court filings.
What Most People Get Wrong
The internet loves a villain.
Early on, the villain was Blake. People called her "tone-deaf" and "out of touch." Then the "fat-shaming" stories leaked, and Justin became the villain. Then the blake lively justin baldoni video came out, and people swung back to being suspicious of Blake’s claims.
The truth? It’s probably a lot messier than a simple "hero vs. villain" story.
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You have a director who might have been overly intense and lacked boundaries, and a superstar producer who was used to getting her way and had the resources to make it happen. When those two forces collided on a movie about such a sensitive, triggering topic, it was never going to end well.
The "floral-gate" marketing was a disaster, sure. Promoting a domestic violence movie like it’s Barbie was a massive misstep. But using that to dismiss claims of workplace harassment is also a dangerous road to go down. Conversely, using a lawsuit to "fix a reputation" after a bad press tour—as Baldoni’s lawyers claim she did—is equally cynical.
Where Things Stand Now
As of early 2026, the dust still hasn't settled. While some of the smaller defamation suits (like the one against the New York Times) were tossed out by judges, the core battle between Lively and Baldoni is still grinding through the legal system.
We’ve seen leaked texts, unedited set footage, and even audio of Baldoni allegedly apologizing.
The movie was a massive financial success, grossing over $350 million globally. But at what cost? The sequel, It Starts With Us, is effectively in limbo. It’s hard to imagine these two ever standing in the same room again, let alone making another movie together.
Actionable Takeaways from the Drama
If we can learn anything from this mess, it’s about the importance of clear boundaries in creative spaces:
- Intimacy Coordinators are Non-Negotiable: The "dance video" controversy wouldn't exist if an objective third party had been there to choreograph and check in on both actors' comfort levels from the jump.
- Creative Control Needs a Paper Trail: If you're a producer/star like Lively, or a director like Baldoni, "who has the final word" needs to be ironed out in the contract, not fought over in the editing bay.
- The "Power Couple" Dynamic is Tricky: When a spouse (like Ryan Reynolds) gets involved in a project they aren't officially part of, it creates a massive power imbalance that can make everyone else on set feel like they're walking on eggshells.
For now, that blake lively justin baldoni video remains a Rorschach test for fans. What you see in it probably says more about whose "side" you were on before you hit play than what actually happened on that set in 2023.
Keep an eye on the May 2026 trial date. That’s when the "he-said, she-said" finally has to face a jury. Until then, the court of public opinion is still very much in session.