Arts & Entertainment

“It Ends with Us” controversy grows more tumultuous online

“It Ends with Us” controversy heats up as the two main stars sue each other. Both are preparing to head to court next year.

By: Rachel Meatte

Much has happened since the release of the film “It Ends with Us.” Actress Blake Lively and Director and Actor Justin Baldoni began a rocky and tumultuous relationship in the summer of 2024. The pair are now at war with each other in both the tabloids and court. 

On Dec. 20 of 2024 Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation during the filming of “It Ends With Us.” Lively was previously bashed in the tabloids for her promotion of the film and alleged treatment of Baldoni. 

Lively used the promotion of the film as an opportunity to promote her haircare line, Blake Brown and other products she either owned or is affiliated with, according to an article by Evoke. This caused the already heightened controversy about the film to skyrocket in popular media and internet culture. 

Film promotional poster. Source: Press release

The movie is based on a book published in 2016 by Colleen Hoover that has been widely criticized for its depictions and the romanticization of abuse. The film includes depictions of abuse, sexual assault and self-harm. Many wondered why such a bubbly person like Lively was cast and if she was fit to take on the role of Lily, a young, troubled girl who suffers in her relationship with Ryle, an abusive partner.  

In recent coverage by media outlets like Vox, Lively was also described as controlling and aggressive by interjecting her and her husband Ryan Reynolds into postproduction of the film without Baldoni’s knowledge.  

Baldoni accused Reynolds of rewriting parts of the script without notifying him and then working with Lively to change other parts of the film including edits, according to an article by “World of Reel.” Lively was silent on the topic avoiding all questions and eventually stopped doing press coverage completely, once the heat turned up online.  

Once Lively announced her lawsuit against Baldoni, The New York Times released an article titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.” In the article, Baldoni, his crises manager and the publicists working for the film studio, Wayfarer, are accused of colluding to smear Lively’s reputation in the media with bad press.  

Uncovered text messages reveal one publicist taking aim at Lively, writing that “He (Baldoni) wants to feel like she can be buried.”?Melissa Nathan, a crises manager Baldoni hired after the controversy began replied, “You know we can bury anyone.” Nathan was previously representing Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial, in which Heard lost.  

The article was a deafening blow to Baldoni who was largely seen as the victim up to this point by the public. He avoided any questions about turmoil or drama after filming, except in one interview with “E! Entertainment” where he suggests that he doesn’t want to work with Lively again.  

“I think that there are better people for that one,” Baldoni said when asked whether he would direct and act in the same film. “I think Lively is ready to direct.” 

In another turn of events following Lively’s suit, Baldoni sued the New York Times on Jan. 1 for $250 million, alleging that the publication cherry picked and altered communications stripped of context with the intent to mislead the public and gain publicity. He claims that Reynolds had aggressively berated him when Baldoni asked how much Lively weighed for a scene in which he needed to carry her.  

According to the suit, Baldoni suffered back problems and out of concern for this issue, he asked Lively how much she weighed before he lifted her to prevent any injury.  

Lively officially sued Baldoni on Jan. 1 in New York federal court, alleging that he and his team organized a sophisticated scheme to undermine her reputation for speaking up against misconduct in her civil complaint filed on Dec. 20.  

While both The New York Times and Lively deny any wrongdoing against Baldoni, he countersued Lively and Reynolds for $400 million. Baldoni accused the publications of trying to destroy his reputation and career including civil extortion, defamation and intentional interference with contractual relations. 

The media has seen wall to wall coverage with daily updates and news articles written about the situation. In the past few weeks, both parties have released a slew of text messages and voicemails that they want to have included into evidentiary hearings for the trial date on March 9, 2026. 

Each have communicated exclusively through their lawyers, refuting any information or evidence from the other party. While both Lively and Baldoni don’t have any roles planned in the near future, it’s clear that this case is an indicator of where their careers will be after the trial is over.