Blake Lively has launched a fierce legal counterattack against her It Ends with Us director and co-star, Justin Baldoni, accusing him of attempting to "avoid accountability" for an alleged "hostile environment" on set. The move comes in response to Baldoni's request for a court to dismiss Lively's $161 million sexual harassment lawsuit before it reaches trial.
A Bitter Legal Battle Escalates
In a new 72-page filing submitted on Thursday, lawyers for the 38-year-old actress argued that Baldoni, 41, and his co-defendants are seeking to be "shielded from trial" and deny Lively her "day in court." The filing, heavily redacted and seen by Deadline, claims the defendants are "throwing the kitchen sink" at Lively's allegations in a bid to have them thrown out.
The core of Lively's lawsuit alleges that Baldoni and his public relations team orchestrated a sophisticated scheme to damage her reputation. She claims this was retaliation for her speaking out about alleged misconduct during the production and marketing of the 2024 romance drama, It Ends with Us. The filing further states that when confronted with complaints, the defendants "abandoned Wayfarer’s policies by refusing to investigate the concerns."
Baldoni previously countersued Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for allegedly trying to "destroy" his reputation, but that case was officially dismissed last month after he missed a deadline to submit an amended complaint.
Baldoni's Motion to Dismiss and the Road to Trial
Last month, Baldoni's legal team filed a motion asking the court to block the case from proceeding to its scheduled trial date of 9 March 2026. In documents obtained by Rolling Stone, they contended that Lively "cannot prove any actionable sexual harassment" and insisted "no reasonable jury" would find him guilty based on the presented claims.
Lively's latest response forcefully rejects this characterisation. Her lawyers argue that the defendants' campaign to portray Lively—"a mother of four with decades of experience in the industry who simply sought a safe and respectful workplace"—as a "bully" who "took over" the film is not a valid defence against the claims of harassment, retaliation, and defamation.
The Independent has reached out to Baldoni's lawyer for comment on the new filing.
Fallout and Author's Disappointment
The protracted legal saga has cast a long shadow over the film, which was adapted from Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel. Hoover, who served as an executive producer, recently expressed her profound disappointment, calling the situation a "circus" and stating it has been "sad" and "ugly."
In an emotional interview with Elle last month, Hoover revealed the controversy has been so damaging that she can no longer bring herself to recommend the movie. "It feels like a circus," she said. "When there are real people involved, with real feelings and emotions. This actually truly has impacted some of the actors’ careers in huge ways."
Hoover, whose book was inspired by her mother's experience of domestic abuse, added that the legal fallout has been uniquely painful. "I feel awful because I almost feel like she’s gone through more with the aftermath of this film, more pain than she went through with my dad, just seeing the ugliness of it," she confessed. "I can’t even recommend it anymore. I feel like [the lawsuit] has overshadowed it."
With Baldoni's motion to dismiss now formally opposed by Lively's team, the legal wrangling is set to continue as the case marches towards its potential 2026 trial date.
