What began as one of the most anticipated book-to-film adaptations has now turned into a headline-making drama, as behind-the-scenes tension between It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni continues to escalate.
Based on Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, the movie is no longer just a story of healing from abuse—it has now become a real-life tale of harassment claims, lawsuits, and mutual accusations.
Once creatively aligned, Lively and Baldoni are now embroiled in a feud that shows no signs of ending anytime soon.
So, let’s delve deeper into the Lively-Baldoni breakdown over It Ends With Us.
The Start of the Conflict
Tensions between Lively and Baldoni are believed to have begun during the movie’s production in 2023. Their strained relationship became more evident during the film’s New York City premiere in August 2024.
At the time, fans quickly noticed that the two actors did not pose for photos together, which was not common for the film leads to do. Baldoni also directed the movie.
There were also claims that they sat in different theaters and completed their press tour without interacting that much with each other.
To add more fuel to the fire, the majority of the It Ends With Us cast members did not follow Baldoni on social media—even the author herself, Hoover.
Blake Lively’s Lawsuit
The conflict between Lively and Baldoni took a legal turn in December 2024 when the New York Times broke the news that Ryan Reynolds’ wife had filed a complaint against the 41-year-old actor and Wayfarer Studios with the CA Civil Rights Department.
In the complaint, the Gossip Girl alum alleged she experienced “severe emotional distress” from what she claimed was a toxic production and movie release.
The filing revealed a list of demands from the actress and her team, asking him to refrain from discussing his previous “pornography addiction,” sexual conquests, and the cast and crew’s genitalia.
The document also noted that the Jane the Virgin star was told, “no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project.”
The complaint also furthered that Baldoni and Jamey Heath, Wayfarer Studios’ CEO and the film’s producer, came to Lively’s dressing room uninvited while she was breastfeeding.
Heath also allegedly showed her a naked video of his wife and watched her body makeup being removed while she was topless in her dressing room.
In addition, Baldoni’s crisis management and publicity team were also accused of starting a “social manipulation” campaign to ruin Lively’s reputation.
As a result, Baldoni was dropped by talent agency William Morris Endeavor, which also represents Lively and Reynolds.
Justin Baldoni’s Retaliation
A few days after Lively filed the lawsuit, Baldoni retaliated by filing a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for reporting the allegations.
“The Article advances its false narrative by cherry-picking out-of-context (and in some cases doctored) private communications never intended for public disclosure or consumption to advance a highly inflammatory, one-sided narrative plainly designed to villainize Plaintiffs,” the filing claimed. “The Times story relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative, lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.”
Other details in the lawsuit alleged that Reynolds “aggressively berated Baldoni at their penthouse in New York” and accused him of “fat shaming” his wife.
Baldoni stressed that he bent to her co-star’s will to avoid “further confrontation” with her and her husband and build rapport while they were doing It Ends With Us.
The director’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, claimed in a statement that it was Lively who held a “vicious smear campaign” against his client, knowing she and Reynolds are “Hollywood elites.”
The Sexual Harassment Claims
After Baldoni sued the Times, Lively once again filed a lawsuit against Baldoni. This time, she alleged that she was sexually harassed by Baldoni and Heath during the production of It Ends With Us, and later faced retaliation through a smear campaign, which she claimed was intended to “silence” her and “eviscerate” her credibility.
Allegedly, Baldoni added a scene where he would lean forward and slowly drag his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, “It smells good.” He, too, tried to add a sex scene that she initially did not agree with, including their characters, Lily and Ryle, climaxing together during their wedding night.
Baldoni also allegedly “intrusively” asked Lively if she and Reynolds climaxed together.
Justin Baldoni Slams Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds with a $400M Lawsuit
Baldoni did not let the sexual allegation slide and slammed Lively and Reynolds with a $400-million lawsuit, alongside publicist Leslie Sloane.
He accused the three of defamation, extortion, and invasion of privacy, alleging Lively tried to “destroy” him by perpetuating false allegations of sexual misconduct.
In the lawsuit, Baldoni claimed Lively “deliberately and systematically” robbed him and Wayfarer Studios of their movie by refusing to return to production unless Wayfarer signed a “Protection for Return to Production” document.
The document, which Baldoni signed to continue filming, allegedly “insinuated misconduct had occurred during filming” that he vehemently denied.
He alleged Lively used this document to take control of It Ends With Us, from editing and marketing strategy to wardrobe and music.
Just hours after the filing, Lively and her legal team responded, calling Baldoni’s move as “another chapter in the abuser playbook.”
A Different Turn for Blake Lively
One of the most contentious points in Lively’s lawsuit involved a birth scene. In her amended complaint filed in February, she claimed the set was “chaotic, crowded, and utterly lacking in standard industry protections for filming nude scenes.”
She alleged Baldoni asked her to perform partially nude, making her feel coerced. Adding to her discomfort was the fact that the actor playing the doctor in the scene was Baldoni’s friend, Adam Mondschein.
So, to clear the issue, Mondschein revealed that his experience working with Lively was “very different” than what she described in the lawsuit.”
“Indeed, I was surprised to read her description of the scene,” he said.
In contrast to Lively’s claims, he maintained that everything that occurred during the birth scene’s production was aboveboard.
“Her costume included a full hospital gown, black shorts and torso-covering prosthetic to make her appear pregnant in addition to whatever personal garments she chose,” he continued. “[She] never complained or expressed discomfort at any point because nothing unusual or improper occurred. It was entirely professional.”
Mondschein expressed willingness to testify if called upon during court proceedings scheduled for March 2026.
Unfortunately, the feud between Baldoni and Lively has overshadowed the success of It Ends With Us, which grossed over $350 million worldwide on a $25 million budget. Instead of highlighting the film’s message about domestic violence, the spotlight has shifted to their ongoing exchange of lawsuits.