It’s safe to say book-to-screen adaption It Ends With Us was one of the more divisive films of 2024. The film, which starred Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, is based on Colleen Hoover’s 2012 book of the same name has been at the centre of controversy ever since it was announced.
Fans found fault with the casting, the costume, even the promotion tactics – and now, there’s a big lawsuit brewing.
Most of the controversies come as no surprise. When book adaptions make their way to the big screen it’s usual for fans of the original text to find fault with the smallest of details.
And while we did expect fans to complain about inconsistencies between the book and movie – Blake Lively’s bombshell lawsuit has given fans a confronting insight into the behind-the-scenes dynamics between herself and co-star/director Justin Baldoni.
Why is Blake Lively suing Justin Baldoni?
On December 20, Lively filed an 80-page complaint to the California Civil Rights Department claiming that after she reported on set sexual harassment, Baldoni retaliated against her by orchestrating a multi-tiered smear campaign intended to “destroy” her reputation.
According to the complaint, she claims Baldoni and the film’s producer, Jamey Heath, attempted to add “gratuitous sexual content” to the script and improvised kisses. In one instance, the complaint alleges Justin was “caressing Ms Lively with his mouth in a way that had nothing to do with their roles.” When Lively later objected, he allegedly told her, “I’m not even attracted to you.”
The complaint alleges Baldoni and Jamey frequently walked in and out of her trailer while she was dressing or breastfeeding her infant child and made invasive inquiries about her sex life.
Baldoni, the suit also alleges, “went out of his way to message criticisms of her age and weight,” including crying over the concern that Lively “looked old and unattractive based on paparazzi photos from the set.”
Lively took her complaints to Wayfarer Studios, partly owned by Justin, resulting in a list of 30 protections to address the hostile work environment. Her December 20 complaint alleges that Baldoni feared Lively would go public with her negative experience and so employed a team of publicists to actively turn the public against her.
“He wants to feel like she can be buried,” a publicist working with Wayfarer and Baldoni allegedly wrote in an August 2 message to crisis management expert, Melissa Nathan, who previously has worked with Johnny Depp. “You know we can bury anyone,” she reportedly responded.
It Ends With Us, a film about domestic violence was a box office success but online criticism of Lively took over. She copped flak for being tone-deaf about the movie’s heavy subject matter and was called out for being rude to fans and awkward in interviews. “Socials are really really ramping up. In his favour,” another text allegedly from Nathan reads. “She must be furious. It’s actually sad because it just shows you how people really want to hate on women.”
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman alleged that Lively’s complaint was lodged to “fix her negative reputation” and has also signalled that Baldoni intends to file a countersuit, saying, “The truth will not only come to light – it will dismantle the illusions propped up by those who believe themselves untouchable.”
Lively, who spent a quiet Christmas with her husband Ryan Reynolds and their children – daughters James, 10, Inez, 8, Betty, 5, and 10-month-old son Olin – maintains that she is pursuing legal action with the intention of helping others.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” she said in a statement to The New York Times.
It Ends With Us co-star, actress Jenny Slate has also spoken out since the lawsuit went public. “Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her,” she said. “What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing and wholly threatening, I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”
Why is Justin Baldoni suing Blake Lively?
On January 16, 2025, Baldoni followed through with his promise to file a countersuit, lodging a 179-page complaint in a US district court against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane’s PR firm. He is seeking damages of $645 million defamation, civil extortion, false light invasion of privacy, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.
The lawsuit alleges that Lively, along with her husband, hijacked control of the film away from Baldoni and sought to to destroy his career and livelihood.
“It is clear based on our own all-out willingness to provide all complete text messages, emails, video footage and other documentary evidence … that this is a battle she will not win and will certainly regret,” said Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman.
What happened with the It Ends With Us cast?
Rumours surrounding It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s working relationship first emerged after The Hollywood Reporter spoke to sources who reported that there had been “a fracture among the filmmakers in the postproduction process.”
The publication explained that whilst it’s not uncommon for a film to have multiple edits made, Lively, who is also the co-executive producer, did commission a cut of the movie from Shane Reid, an editor she and Taylor Swift previously worked with on a music video.
Lively also revealed in an interview with E! that her husband Ryan Reynolds jumped in to help write a scene of the movie. Reynolds, who was promoting his film Deadpool and Wolverine at the time, was also heavily involved in the promotion of It Ends With Us alongside his wife, appearing on red carpets and taking part in press junkets.
In December 2024, Baldoni opened up about his struggles on set, admitting they almost led to a “breakdown,” during an appearance on the How To Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast.
Looking back at his experience, he explained that simultaneously acting and directing the film almost brought him to breaking point.
“Directing is a very lonely job, I’ll just be very candid because you are kind of at the top of this totem pole,” he said. “In your moments of quiet, everybody has a thousand questions for you and also nobody wants to disturb you. And you don’t really have many people to talk to and you can’t necessarily share your anxiety or your nervousness about something because you’re also the leader.”
He also spoke about the difficulties he faced when stepping into the role of such a dark character.
“It’s a very strange place to be, let alone directing while trying to play a character who does the things that Ryle does in the movie,” he reflected. “There were moments in the filming of this where I would just have to leave. I’d have to remove myself and go shake it out.”
“There’s a moment in the movie where Ryle finds Lily’s phone and he finds a phone number and he’s very jealous and he’s heartbroken and he’s angry. And he doesn’t harm her, but you can see in his eyes how dangerous he is. After that scene, I had a near breakdown…I had to leave and just cry and shake because there was so much pain.”
Do Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni get along?
Before the lawsuit, internet sleuths also pointed out that none of the cast members follow Justin Baldoni on Instagram, leading many to suspect the cast may not be close. Baldoni who is the director of the film in addition to playing one of Livelys onscreen partners Ryle, has also not appeared in any red carpet photos with Lively or the rest of the cast – instead opting to walk the carpet alone or with his wife.
Previously, Baldoni spoke highly of Lively and Reynolds, telling Today, “You can’t summarize Blake’s contribution in a sentence because her energy and imprint is all over the movie and really, really made the film better, and from beginning to end. Ryan (Reynolds) was so generous… he’s a creative genius… His gift is levity, and her gift is levity.” During the interview, he did confirm that he would not be returning to direct a potential sequel.
“I think there are better people for that one. I think Blake Lively is ready to direct, ” he told Entertainment Tonight.
Why is the movie It Ends With Us controversial?
Rumours of a fractured cast weren’t the only headlines about the film when it first premiered. It Ends With Us has also been criticised for the book-to-screen inconsistencies and Blake Lively’s wardrobe choices.
As the cast began promoting the flick, Lively was also criticised for her light-hearted approach to the movie’s promotion since the film deals with themes of domestic violence.
Lively also used the film’s press tour to promote her company Betty Buzz, her new haircare line and her husband’s Aviation Gin.
Her approach was remarkably different to Baldoni, who used his promotional tour as a chance to speak out on Domestic Violence.
“No matter how much research, or how many women I talk to, or how much I try to empathize or even get into the mind and heart of my wife, I’ll never be able to understand what that experience is like. I knew that going in,” he previously told TheWrap. “The only way that I was going to be able to direct this movie was if I had the support that I needed to make sure that I could put myself in a position to get it right,” he added before revealing he had worked with advocacy group Now More in a consulting partnership in the making of the movie.
“Not being worried about glorifying the violence or romanticizing abuse because I also was learning every day from the organization and from survivors about why this is so important and why telling the story in a certain way is so important.”
What does Brandon Sklenar think?
Brandon Sklenar was one of the first cast members to directly respond to the “stuff swirling online.”
The actor, who plays Atlas Corrigan in the film hit back at the online discourse, telling fans; “Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about. It is, in fact, the opposite of the point.”
“What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film,” he added. “It’s disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online.”
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