Justin Baldoni Sues Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for $400Million — 'It Ends With Us' Director Claims Couple Sought to 'Destroy Him with False Allegations of Sexual Harassment'
Baldoni and Lively's legal drama started in December.
Jan. 16 2025, Published 3:21 p.m. ET
Justin Baldoni has sued It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for $400 million.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the latest bombshell in the ongoing legal drama between the two co-stars after Lively accused the actor of "sexual harassment."
Baldoni requested a jury trial and a judgment of $400 million.
On Thursday, Baldoni filed a 179-page complaint in the Southern District of New York with his publicists, claiming Lively and Reynolds of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
The actor requested a jury trial and a judgment of $400 million.
The actor's lawsuit states: "At bottom, this is not a case about celebrities sniping at each other in the press. This is a case about two of the most powerful stars in the world deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio.
"When Plaintiffs have their day in court, the jury will recognize that even the most powerful celebrity cannot bend the truth to her will."
Baldoni has sued both Lively and Reynolds.
Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement: "This lawsuit is a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team's duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team, and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media.'
"It is clear based on our own all out willingness to provide all complete text messages, emails, video footage and other documentary evidence that was shared between the parties in real time, that this is a battle she will not win and will certainly regret. Blake Lively was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth.
"Let’s not forget, Ms. Lively and her team attempted to bulldoze reputations and livelihoods for heinously selfish reasons through their own dangerous manipulation of the media before even taking any actual legal action. We know the truth, and now the public does too.
"Justin and his team have nothing to hide, documents do not lie."
The drama between the former co-stars started back when the cast was promoting the film – with Baldoni noticeably missing from a lot of the group interviews and press events.
In addition, the leading actors did not pose for any photos together at the premieres.
Fans started speculating a feud, which was then confirmed in December after Lively accused Baldoni of "sexual harassment" in a lawsuit.
She claimed Baldoni's behavior while filming caused her "grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety."
Baldoni's lawyer has shut down any allegation against his client.
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Baldoni denied Lively's claims and first filed a lawsuit against The New York Times seeking $250 million in damages after they posted their article about her allegations.
The New York Times defended its article as "meticulously and responsibly reported" after Baldoni's lawsuit.
Since Lively's first lawsuit, Baldoni, his team, as well as his lawyer, have been releasing "receipts" to support their case.
In one of the emails to his publicist, which was submitted in his lawsuit, Baldoni wrote: "Just find ways to keep me busy when she gets everyone together. Obviously if the whole cast is making content together that’s her trying to clue people onto their being an issue. Everything she does is calculated yet also manic."
He added: "Attempting to rewrite history and like I’m not the one who developed this and spent five years, trying to make it. And like there's an issue with me, it's just mean and hurtful and she knows exactly what she's doing."
