Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Face $400 Million Legal Battle

The film 'It Ends With Us,' directed by Justin Baldoni and starring Blake Lively, is embroiled in a contentious legal battle following accusations of sexual harassment and a public relations smear campaign. Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his studio, claiming harassment and retaliation, while Baldoni countered with a $250 million suit against the New York Times for an article about the alleged smear campaign. Tensions escalated as Lively allegedly used her friendship with Taylor Swift to pressure Baldoni over the film's trailer and edits, leading Baldoni to feel intimidated in meetings. The film's promotional efforts were marred by criticism of Lively's tone-deaf marketing that seemed to downplay the film's serious themes of domestic violence. As public sentiment shifted against Lively, Baldoni was praised for his advocacy for domestic abuse survivors during the press tour. A trial date has been set for March 2026, suggesting that the drama surrounding 'It Ends With Us' is far from over.