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Inside Hollywood’s most toxic feud: As Justin Baldoni and co-star Blake Lively sue and countersued, an explosive new show reveals why it’s turned into all-out war

BBG News

The ongoing dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director from the blockbuster movie “It Ends With Us” last year, is the topic on everyone’s lips in Hollywood. In simpler terms, Blake Lively is taking legal action against Justin Baldoni.

1) She claims he sexually harassed her while they were making the movie and orchestrated a worldwide defamation campaign against her. In response, he alleges that she excluded him from his own production and was attempting to sabotage his professional success.

Two exceptionally attractive and affluent actors find themselves embroiled in a prolonged dramatic situation, with no signs of resolution appearing imminent.

A fresh documentary on Discovery+ now guides viewers through the intricate accusations between the two feuding groups in Hollywood, giving a unique glimpse into the normally hidden workings of Tinseltown.

As the director of this intriguing documentary, let me tell you, promoting a film might lead one to expect a unified front. Yet, what’s unfolding behind-the-scenes on this set is nothing short of extraordinary – a revelation that has left me astounded. Frankly, I don’t believe we’ve ever witnessed anything quite like it before.

The film offers insights from legal specialists, commentators, and PR crisis managers, engaging in a discussion on different perspectives of the conflict. Initially, Justin’s account is shared.

An actor who wasn’t widely recognized but had previously starred in the popular comedy-drama series “Jane The Virgin,” he was thrilled when, in 2019, his production company, Wayfarer Studios, acquired the rights to Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel “It Ends With Us.

As a self-proclaimed feminist male, the theme of domestic abuse deeply resonated with Justin. In a documentary, Hollywood podcaster Lauren Atkinson noted, “This was truly his first significant movie deal; it was like his child if you will.” However, it wasn’t too long before this project, which he considered as his own, started throwing the biggest of tantrums.

Blake had become more recognized due to television shows like Gossip Girl and marrying famous actor Ryan Reynolds, which made Justin seem somewhat overwhelmed by comparison.

On one occasion, Justin paid a visit to Blake’s New York penthouse for discussions about revising a crucial scene. However, upon arrival, he found himself face-to-face with not just Blake, but also Taylor Swift, who is reportedly both Blake’s spouse and friend.

In the documentary, podcast host Chanler Bledsoe remarks, ‘These entities are giants.’ It seems that Justin perceived their existence as a tactic to scare him into accepting her revisions.

In November 2023, Blake gave an ultimatum to the production team after only 16 days of filming, stating that he would leave unless Justin consented to certain conditions. Among these conditions were no sexually explicit discussions or display of nude videos on set. Peter Tragos, a legal analyst, comments in the documentary that ‘Justin Baldoni finds himself in a challenging position when faced with this list of demands as he agrees with all of them.’

That’s precisely the correct manner for managing a set, and that’s exactly what we are doing with ours – but without implying criticism.

The implied mood of the document seemed to suggest that sexually improper activities occurred on set while filming, but Justin, despite signing it, subsequently stated that he opposed its underlying implications.

Troubles escalated as Blake, who was also involved in the movie’s production, proposed using her own editing team. Filmmaker Christel Cornilsen comments, “Justin would have felt disrespected.” She added, “Certainly, she wouldn’t behave that way towards another prominent director.

By May 2024, there were two distinct versions of the movie available. While Justin’s edit received better feedback from preview audiences, Blake reportedly threatened not to take part in promoting the film if they didn’t choose her version instead. According to Chanler, despite receiving mixed reviews, the movie was a commercial triumph, earning more than $350 million at box offices globally.

In December last year, Blake ultimately chose to file a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment on the film set against Justin. Not even a month had passed when Justin retaliated with a $400 million countersuit aimed at both Blake and her husband. Despite its recent dismissal, Justin continues to assert that Blake took control of the film from him, fabricated charges of sexual harassment, and used them as a smokescreen for her own actions.

In the end, according to Annabelle, the focus will be on validating Blake’s claims, some of which are somewhat ambiguous. At this point, it can be likened to a situation where one person says something and another denies it.

The latter part of the documentary presents Blake’s perspective on events. Her accusations are quite severe, encompassing allegations that her co-star inappropriately improvised unwanted kisses while filming, often discussed a past addiction to pornography, and pushed for Blake to be nude during the movie’s birthing scene.

However, one of the strongest criticisms leveled against Justin’s team is that they orchestrated a synchronized media assault on Blake during the movie’s 2024 premiere.

According to Daily Mail journalist Daniel Bates, on the show, it’s claimed that his publicists collaborated to launch a worldwide defamation campaign against her using social media to produce unfavorable stories, which would then be picked up by major news outlets and reported.

The hearing for Blake’s grievance has been scheduled for next March, and Annabelle finds the entire incident ‘extremely revealing’. Neither party seems willing to concede. It’s important to recall that much of this involves allegations about working conditions on set, and both individuals are being portrayed as difficult. One wonders how potential future employers will perceive these events.

Lively Vs Baldoni: The Hollywood Feud is available on Discovery+.

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2025-07-18 20:08

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