Hollywood's most explosive legal feud has intensified dramatically after never-before-seen footage from the film It Ends With Us entered the courtroom record, with Justin Baldoni accusing Blake Lively of the very conduct she claims he subjected her to.
The Bombshell Evidence
According to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Baldoni's legal team submitted a deleted scene as evidence on Thursday, arguing it shows Lively improvising a kiss during filming in May 2023. This directly contradicts her lawsuit allegations against the actor-director.
The minute-long clip, filed as an exhibit in a November 13 motion for summary judgment, captures Lively and Baldoni shooting a hospital hallway scene. In the footage, Lively's character Lily strides up to Baldoni's Ryle, grabs his arms, and plants a quick kiss on him before smiling and walking off.
Baldoni's legal team insists this moment appears nowhere in the shooting script and argue that Lively not only approved the moment but 'oversaw' the scene and 'herself added to the script, in which her character kissed Baldoni's character in every take, although there was no kiss in the script.'
Conflicting Allegations and Legal Setbacks
Lively, 38, has accused Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment and retaliation - claims he forcefully denies. The legal war between the former co-stars began when Lively returned to the It Ends With Us set in January 2024 after Hollywood strikes with a strict checklist that included 'no more improvising of kissing.'
Baldoni's team is now using the newly unearthed clip as evidence that Lively herself had participated in off-script kissing months earlier, filmed on May 19, 2023, well before production was halted.
In a significant development last week, a New York judge handed Lively a fresh courtroom defeat when Judge Lewis Liman dismissed her claims against social media strategist Jed Wallace, whom she accused of helping Baldoni's camp coordinate an online smear effort during the film's release.
The judge ruled that her legal team failed to show Wallace - based in Austin, Texas - had sufficient ties to New York to be sued there, though he noted she could still pursue Wallace in Texas.
Digital Warfare and Mounting Legal Costs
The legal battle has expanded beyond traditional courtroom arguments into allegations of digital manipulation. Lively's lawyers claimed in court filings that Baldoni and his team used digital tricks to conceal critical evidence, including the app Signal, voice memos, and other software to coordinate efforts.
According to Lively's legal team, Baldoni coordinated with associates from Wayfarer Studios and PR professionals Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, using auto-deleting messages and other digital elements to allegedly damage her reputation.
The financial stakes are enormous. Baldoni had initially filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane, though it was thrown out of court this past June. Meanwhile, Lively's original lawsuit named Baldoni's company Wayfarer Studios, the studio's CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel Nathan and Abel.
The film itself proved a surprise commercial success, earning $148 million at the domestic box office and $350 million globally since its August release. However, whatever goodwill the adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel generated has been completely overshadowed by the bitter legal feud between its stars.
With the video evidence now part of the court record and both sides refusing to back down, this Hollywood confrontation shows no signs of resolution as it heads toward a potential trial in New York next March.
