The drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, stars of It Ends With Us, feels straight out of a soap opera. What started as whispers on social media has now escalated into a lawsuit that could change everything.
The sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Lively against Baldoni has been a major topic of conversation. For those still unclear on how we got here, here’s a chronological breakdown of events.
How It All Started
In mid-2024, promotional tours for the highly anticipated film began. Fans quickly noticed something unusual on Instagram: none of the main actors—Blake Lively, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, or Isabela Ferrer—followed Justin Baldoni on the platform. Even Colleen Hoover, the author of the book the film is based on, didn’t follow him. Oddly enough, Baldoni followed all of them, making it hard to believe it was a coincidence.
During the press tour, Baldoni’s absence from group interviews was even more conspicuous. While some rumors suggested a health issue, others speculated that tensions between the cast and director were to blame.
At the New York premiere on August 6, Baldoni added fuel to the fire. He did not pose for photos with the rest of the cast, nor did he sit with them during the screening. For many, this confirmed suspicions that something was amiss.
Trouble on Set
The tension wasn’t confined to social media and red carpets. Sources from the production claimed that Baldoni disregarded Lively’s perspective during intense scenes of abuse, focusing solely on the male character’s point of view. Some crew members described his behavior as “dismissive” and “macho,” creating a tense and uncomfortable environment for Lively.
Matters escalated further during post-production. Reports emerged that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband, had contributed to rewriting a significant scene in the film, which Baldoni reportedly did not take well.
The Lawsuit
After the premiere, things appeared to settle down until December 21, when the controversy resurfaced. Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a campaign to damage her reputation.
Justin Baldoni reportedly hired a crisis PR expert who worked to hire contractors to dominate social media through “full social account take downs” of Blake Lively by starting “threads of theories” and generally working to “change narrative.”
“All of this will be most… pic.twitter.com/9r5OMfkpCC
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) December 21, 2024
The allegations include inappropriate on-set behavior, such as Baldoni showing Lively explicit videos and discussing his “pornography addiction.” The lawsuit also claims that Baldoni ignored Lively’s request for an intimacy coordinator during sensitive scenes.
the full list of “demands” is even crazier. y’all are weirdos for defending him https://t.co/JGxipu34wm pic.twitter.com/B5CfsluSHH
— floplore (@FlopFitzgerald) December 21, 2024
In response, Baldoni and his legal team denied all accusations, calling them “completely false” and “scandalous.” However, the damage was already done. His talent agency severed ties with him, and reports suggest that most of the cast and crew want nothing to do with him. But hey, as people often say, the truth always comes out.
This is an ongoing story, and we’ll share updates as more information becomes available.
This article was originally written in Spanish by Nayely Aguilera in Cultura Colectiva