Blake Lively och Justin Baldoni har nått förlikning

The production of the 2024 American film It Ends with Us, starring American actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, has been the subject of controversy due to highly publicized disputes and litigation between Lively and Baldoni concerning allegations of a hostile work environment and smear campaigns. The film, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by the American author Colleen Hoover, was directed by Baldoni, and produced by Baldoni and Lively among others. It was released in August 2024 to commercial success. During the film's press tour, some fans criticized Lively's lighthearted tone in interviews when discussing the story's themes of domestic violence and emotional abuse. Media outlets and tabloids reported an apparent conflict within the cast, with observers noting Baldoni's reduced presence in promotional activities. Reports also included allegations of improper behavior by Baldoni on set, while Lively was accused of creatively hijacking the film from Baldoni. In December 2024, Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging that Baldoni created a hostile workplace through inappropriate comments. This was followed by an article in The New York Times that accused Baldoni of hiring a public relations (PR) team to damage Lively's public image in response to her complaints. Lively subsequently filed a federal lawsuit against Baldoni and his associates, alleging violations of U.S. federal and California state law including retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns. Baldoni denied the allegations and alleged that disputes between the parties stemmed from creative disagreements rather than misconduct. In December 2024 he filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. Lively filed her lawsuit against him, his Wayfarer associates and PR agents the same day. In January 2025, Baldoni and his associates filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, alleging extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. Baldoni claimed that Lively used false allegations of sexual harassment and threats to withdraw from the production to gain creative control over the film. They alleged that any negative press she received was organic and due to her own behavior. In February 2025, Lively sought a gag order against Baldoni, alleging an ongoing smear campaign; the request was denied by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. In May 2025, after Lively included singer-songwriter Taylor Swift on a list of potential witnesses, Baldoni sought to subpoena her, alleging that Lively and Reynolds had used her influence to coerce him into accepting Lively's rewrite of a scene in the film. He also alleged that Lively blackmailed Swift with leaking private text messages to garner her public support in the controversy. Swift denied involvement in the production, and the subpoena was later withdrawn following criticism from the court. In June 2025, the court dismissed Baldoni's claims against Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times, but granted him access to Lively's text conversations with Swift which revealed the truth of her involvement. Lively also sought subpoenas, including requests involving content creators, journalists, and Scooter Braun and Hybe America, alleging association with Baldoni's PR. Her claims against Baldoni's PR consultant Jed Wallace were dismissed in November 2025. In January 2026, a number of exhibits were unsealed ahead of a summary judgment hearing. These materials included text conversations between Lively and Swift, communications between Ryan Reynolds, his WME agents, and with Sony, and multiple deposition excerpts. The testimonies included accounts from co‑star Jenny Slate and other cast and crew, and also from Baldoni's publicists. In April 2026, the court dismissed 10 of Lively's 13 claims, including her sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni, thereby removing him and all other individual defendants from the lawsuit. Lively's remaining claims of retaliation and breach of contract against Wayfarer Studios, as well as aiding and abetting retaliation against associated PR defendants, are scheduled to proceed to trial on May 18, 2026.