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EXCLUSIVE: Blake Lively 'A Hollywood Pariah' Who Has Left Directors 'Terrified' of Working With Her Over 'It Ends With Us' Court Drama

Photo of Blake Lively
Source: MEGA

Aug. 29 2025, Published 10:00 a.m. ET

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Blake Lively's star power has truly turned poisonous, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Sources tell us her new "Queen of Mean" reputation has directors "running so scared" she may "never land another big movie role again."

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Photo of Blake Lively
Source: MEGA

Blake Lively faces backlash over her 'Queen of Mean' reputation.

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Lively, 38, is still in the eye of a storm as legal fireworks rage around her 2024 film It Ends With Us.

The actress recently filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment under director and co-star in the film, Justin Baldoni.

Baldoni, 40, countered with a staggering $400 million defamation suit, naming Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist in his case.

A federal judge has since dismissed Baldoni's countersuit as legally shielded speech, clearing a path toward Lively's trial scheduled for March 2026.

Lively's move into becoming a producer as well as star in The Survival List was meant to mark a triumphant return to form, but insiders say it only intensified concerns about how she exercises control on set.

Others say the only way she could land the role in the film was by producing.

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Blake's Bad Reputation

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Photo of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Source: MEGA

Directors fear working with Blake after her legal battle erupted.

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"There's a lot of unease," one movie insider said.

"She's undeniably talented, but she's also developed a reputation for being controlling. Directors are questioning whether they want to deal with that kind of drama – or the possibility she may launch legal action against them."

The backlash has escalated as Lively's legal war with Baldoni rumbled on and on over the last year.

In her case, she detailed instances of alleged improvised unwanted kissing, invasion of her private space, and offensive conduct on set – all of which she claimed were retaliated against via a coordinated PR "smear campaign" orchestrated by Baldoni's team.

She believes Baldoni's publicists and PR contractors developed a covert campaign to manipulate online narratives against her, even proposing a $30,000-a-month effort to bury Lively's image while avoiding online "fingerprints."

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Blake's Legal Battle With Justin

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Photo of Blake Lively
Source: MEGA

Blake’s trial against Baldoni is set for March 2026.

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One Hollywood source said: "Directors watched It Ends With Us crumble under the weight of controversy. No one wants to end up as the next Justin Baldoni."

Meanwhile, Lively's own legal team has called Baldoni's actions a textbook case of 'DARVO' – deny, attack, reverse victim and offender.

New revelations have continued to emerge in the legal fight.

Unsealed court texts and emails show Baldoni's team actively discussing narrative control prior to the film's release and anticipating conflict.

Beyond her legal battles, Lively is using this pause to reconnect with family life, sources tell us.

The actress recently turned 38 and celebrated quietly with her husband and four children, seeking solace amid media scrutiny.

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Lively's Career Is Being 'Closely Watched'

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Photo of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Source: MEGA

She celebrated her 38th birthday quietly with Ryan Reynolds and their kids.

Yet the court documents and fallout from It Ends With Us have perpetuated her reputation as someone who insists on severe control on movie sets.

In one resurfaced interview, she admitted: "I need authorship in order to feel fulfilled."

Admirable to some – but to directors, it "screams 'power struggle,'" sources tell us.

As her trial with Baldoni looms in March 2026, Lively's career is being "closely watched," an insider said.

They added: "Her next moves are likely to determine whether this reputation as a Hollywood Queen of Mean can be changed."

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