what happened with blake lively and justin baldoni

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, co-stars and collaborators on the 2024 film It Ends With Us , became embroiled in a high-profile legal feud that escalated from on-set tensions to lawsuits and a failed settlement attempt.

Dispute Origins

The conflict traces back to production in 2023-2024. Lively accused Baldoni, who also directed, of sexual harassment, including inappropriate comments and behavior on set, plus retaliation after she raised concerns. Baldoni denied the claims, calling them "false and outrageous," and alleged Lively tried to exert creative control over the film.

Key Allegations

• Lively's Claims : Filed initially with California's Civil Rights Department in December 2024, then as a New York lawsuit on December 31, seeking nearly $500 million for harassment, emotional distress, and a retaliatory smear campaign by Baldoni's team. Texts from PR firms like TAG PR (e.g., "We can bury anyone") were cited as evidence.

• Baldoni's Counter : He sued for $400 million, claiming defamation and interference, vowing to release all texts to prove no smear occurred—just standard PR planning. His lawyer highlighted Lively's press tour missteps as self-inflicted.

Legal Timeline

Date| Event
---|---
Dec 2024| Lively files complaint; Baldoni counters with lawsuit.49
Jun 2025| Media coverage peaks with detailed breakdowns.5
Nov 2025| Baldoni seeks dismissal; trial delayed to May 18, 2026.48
Feb 10-11, 2026| Court-ordered settlement conference in NYC fails—no resolution reached. Both appeared in court (awkwardly matching outfits noted).123

Recent Developments

As of February 11, 2026, settlement talks collapsed after the first in-person court meeting since the feud began. Baldoni's attorney expressed readiness for the May trial, while Lively's side pushes forward with amended complaints adding evidence. Public buzz includes fan divisions, with some castmates like Brandon Sklenar urging no negativity toward Lively.

Public and Media Reaction

The saga has fueled endless online discourse—Hollywood "smear machine" theories, press tour drama (Lively's sarcastic DV remark), and debates over who "hijacked" the film. Trending forums highlight PR texts as smoking guns, but Baldoni's camp insists context shows mere preparation. No verdict yet; trial looms as the next chapter.

TL;DR : On-set harassment claims by Lively against Baldoni led to dueling $400M+ lawsuits over It Ends With Us. Settlement failed February 2026; trial set for May.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.