Justin Baldoni breaks near two-year silence over Blake Lively legal dispute
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Justin Baldoni and his wife, Emily Baldoni, have publicly addressed his ongoing legal dispute with Blake Lively for the first time in nearly two years, posting a video to Instagram on Wednesday. The dispute stems from the 2024 film "It Ends With Us", which Baldoni directed and co-starred in alongside Lively, and the couple's decision to speak marks a notable shift after a prolonged period of silence they said was driven by a wish to let the justice system run its course.
In the video, the couple struck a reflective and faith-focused tone, expressing gratitude to supporters and referring to "so many painful things that have been spoken into existence" since the allegations emerged. The conflict began in December 2024, when Lively alleged that Baldoni had sexually harassed her and attempted to orchestrate an online smear campaign against her during filming. Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios responded with a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accusing her of weaponising false allegations to seize control of the film; that suit was later dismissed after a judge ruled Lively's accusations were protected by litigation privilege.
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Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively starred together in the 2024 film adaptation of "It Ends With Us", which Baldoni also directed. In December 2024, Lively accused him of sexual harassment on set and of trying to orchestrate an online campaign to damage her reputation. Baldoni denied the claims and, through his company Wayfarer Studios, filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging she had fabricated the allegations to gain control of the film.
That lawsuit was later thrown out by a judge, who found Lively's original accusations were legally protected. Since the dispute became public, Baldoni had largely avoided commenting on it, saying he wanted the legal process to play out rather than argue the case in public. The row has drawn wide attention partly because of the seniority of those involved and the wider debate it has fuelled about harassment claims and reputation management in Hollywood.
More coverage
- The Hollywood Reporter — Justin Baldoni Breaks Silence on u2018It Ends With Usu2019 Legal Battle With Blake Lively: u201cSo Many Painful Thingsu201d
- Deadline — Justin Baldoni Breaks Silence After Blake Lively Legal Battle: u201cThere Is So Much More To Sayu201d
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Originally published by Variety as “Justin Baldoni Speaks Out on Blake Lively Legal Battle: ‘There Have Been so Many Painful Things That Have Been Spoken Into Existence’”.