Baldoni, Lively face off in USD 400 million 'It Ends With Us' case
New York: Lawyers representing Hollywood stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively clashed in court on Monday over a high-stakes USD 400 million defamation lawsuit. The dispute, which stems from allegations made during the filming of the movie It Ends With Us, took a dramatic turn when Baldoni's legal team published a collection of sensitive case documents online, drawing criticism from the judge.
The case was sparked when Blake Lively filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against her co-star Justin Baldoni, alleging inappropriate behaviour during the filming of the romantic drama. Lively claimed that Baldoni made unwanted comments about his personal life and pushed for intimate scenes she had not agreed to. She also accused lead producer Jamey Heath of watching her while she was topless, despite her request for privacy.
Baldoni has vehemently denied the allegations and filed a USD 400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. He claims Lively's accusations are part of a broader media smear campaign and that she hijacked the production.
Court drama, leaked documents
In a dramatic turn, Baldoni's team created a website that made public a large amount of evidence, including text messages and emails between Baldoni, Lively, and Reynolds. The move has sparked controversy, with Judge Lewis Liman warning that such actions could prompt the trial to be brought forward, which is currently scheduled for March 2026.
"You've got a lot in front of the court that gives, I think, the public plenty to feast upon," Judge Liman said, emphasising the importance of keeping proceedings private and not litigating through the media.
Following the court hearing, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, expressed confidence, stating, "We just couldn't be more pleased with how all the issues were managed. We're going to move as quickly as we possibly can and prove our innocence."
Meanwhile, Lively's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, said he was "very happy with how the hearing went," though he did not go into further detail.
Public feud, growing tension
The tension between Lively and Baldoni became public when fans noticed that the two stars were not following each other on social media during the film's promotional period. This sparked speculation, which quickly uncovered Lively's complaints about Baldoni’s on-set behaviour.
In addition to the defamation suit against Lively, Baldoni has filed a separate lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of amplifying the media campaign against him by publishing articles based on leaked emails and texts.
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