Justin Baldoni files $400M lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

The director of It Ends With Us accuses Hollywood power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds of attempting to 'destroy' him with false allegations in a new legal filing

Justin Baldoni has filed a $400M lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, accusing the Hollywood couple of hijacking the production of It Ends With Us, the highly anticipated summer 2024 film he directed. Baldoni claims the couple sought to "destroy" him with false sexual harassment allegations.

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, includes accusations of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. It marks the latest development in a contentious legal dispute over the film’s production and marketing, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling book. The conflict began when Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Commission, alleging sexual harassment by Baldoni during the film’s production. She also accused him of retaliating by orchestrating a smear campaign against her, involving fake social media activity and planted stories.

Baldoni’s legal team strongly denies the allegations, and he filed a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times for publishing a report based on text messages between Baldoni and his team, which they argue were taken out of context. Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has promised additional lawsuits.

Baldoni's complaint emphasizes that this case is not just a celebrity feud but a serious legal matter, accusing Lively and Reynolds of using their power to seize control of the film. He argues that the evidence will show how Lively and her team misrepresented the situation to the media, and that they will regret their actions when the full truth comes to light.

The lawsuit also highlights Baldoni’s request for Disney and Marvel to preserve any documents related to a joke made about him in the 2024 Deadpool and Wolverine films, which his team claims was aimed at mocking or harassing him.