Ella Kittler | Writer
January 29, 2025
The ongoing legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively over the making of It Ends With Us has spiraled into a confusing spectacle. Rumors began swirling in August 2024, even before the movie had hit theaters, when fans noticed that the pair seemed distant during interviews, despite portraying on-screen love interests. The controversy truly kicked off in December when Lively filed a legal complaint accusing Baldoni, the film’s director and co-star, of creating a sexually inappropriate atmosphere on set. She also alleged that after speaking out, a crisis communications team was hired to smear her reputation. Sami Christou, San Clemente High School junior and die-hard Colleen Hoover fan, observed, “Blake didn’t seem too interested in the promotion of the movie.”
Baldoni’s team quickly denied the allegations, with Baldoni suing The New York Times for $250 million, accusing the paper of biased reporting. He later filed a $400 million suit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. As the case progressed, Baldoni’s side released unedited footage from a scene Lively had mentioned in her original complaint. The footage, which shows the two actors dancing, was framed by Baldoni’s camp as proof that Lively’s accusations were unfounded, claiming the actors behaved professionally and with mutual respect. Lively’s team, however, argued that the video only corroborated her claims, pointing out her visible discomfort and attempts to avoid Baldoni’s actions. As expected, both sides offered starkly different interpretations of the footage, which did little to resolve the matter definitively. It’s unclear what either actor was thinking during the scene, making it a challenging piece of evidence to interpret.
Public reaction is divided, with some questioning Lively and others seeing Baldoni’s legal tactics and media leaks as manipulative. The case has shifted from a legal matter to a public spectacle.
Both sides are now fighting over a gag order, with Lively requesting one to prevent further public spectacle. With so much information—and disinformation—circulating, it’s unclear how this will end without further damage to both their reputations. Despite the controversy surrounding the film, junior Lilah Fontanes said, “I still think the movie has an important message about domestic abuse, and I think that’s what needs to really be remembered here.”
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