Justin Baldoni

A recent court filing has shed new light on the ever-escalating feud between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni with their film, 'It Ends With Us,' with allegations of misconduct, disputes over the nature of intimacy scenes, and conflicting accounts of what took place behind the scenes.

Unsealed texts unmask strains shared in indecent situations

In a private message to his former agent on December 30, 2023, Baldoni complained about how Lively handled the filming of sensitive scenes.

'She's refused a body double,' Baldoni wrote to former agent Danny Greenberg, with documents obtained by Page Six.

Baldoni had, in the unsealed works, accused Lively of trapping him into another scheme by refusing to accept a body double to perform her scenes of intimacy and denying his storyboards, which were a description of how they hoped the romantic scenes would appear.

Baldoni also alleged that the denial was a stressful situation, and it is what prompted producers, Sony executives, and producer Todd Black to intervene. He recounted this as a 'gigantic clusterf---,' and that it was exhausting and time-consuming due to the nature of the disagreements, particularly over the holiday.

He pointed to the fact that he was complying with most of the demands of Lively, but he was met with resistance, which he considered to be obstructive.

Situation of the controversy: Guarantees and on-set behaviour

Only a few days after these messages, on January 4, 2024, they had an important meeting between Baldoni, Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and representatives of the studio present.

The meeting was about 17 protections that Lively demanded in order to guarantee her safety and comfort on set, which were already agreed upon by the set in writing. All this was done to curb the issue of behaviour and working conditions after a series of strikes and negotiations.

One of the sources who is well acquainted with Lively explained that they sent the messages when Lively had elaborated on how Baldoni and another crew member, Jamey Heath, had made their working environment hostile.

The source said that these protections that the two parties had agreed upon were aimed at ensuring a safe and respectful filming process.

Contrast of narratives and legal ramifications

Though Baldoni described the actions of Lively as being manipulative and retaliatory, one of the sources of Lively argued that her messages and demands were rational and justified by the need of her security.

According to the source, the messages Baldoni was posting were supposed to be retaliatory because he felt frustrated as the safety measures, which both sides had agreed upon, were not taken, but instead, the claim of actual safety problems.

An alleged on-set altercation in April 2023, where Ryan Reynolds allegedly challenges Baldoni over the supposed fat-shaming of Lively, is also mentioned in legal documents and was reported to have been witnessed by high-profile celebrities, including Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman.

The legal clash continues

In December 2024, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and some of his associates, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation, suing them to the tune of $160M.

Baldoni retaliated with a countersuit worth $400M, but in June 2025, the countersuit was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman on the grounds that there were no adequate reasons.

The legal war is due to be tried during a hearing on January 22, 2026, and another trial on May 18, 2026.

The case is still the centre of intense media coverage, which shows how the relationships behind the glossy Hollywood facades can be quite complex.

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