Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Legal Battle Drives Fallout Including Johansson, Swift Testimony

Scarlett Johansson has publicly addressed the ongoing legal dispute between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, who is married to Johansson's ex-husband Ryan Reynolds, during an interview about her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great. Despite the controversy, Johansson praised Baldoni's production company, Wayfarer Studios, for their support throughout her film's production, describing the timing of the legal battle as "weird." Johansson has never met Baldoni, who is at the center of the lawsuit after Lively accused him of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us, allegations Baldoni denies. Baldoni responded with a $400 million countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist, alleging defamation and extortion, with the case extending to subpoenas for third parties like Taylor Swift. Johansson's acknowledgment of Wayfarer Studios' support, despite the high-profile feud involving her ex-husband and Lively, signals her decision not to distance herself from Baldoni amid the legal drama. Her film's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival is seen as a potential influence on the ongoing lawsuit, with the case highlighting complex personal and professional entanglements in Hollywood.