Blake Full of life’s alleged feud with director and costar Justin Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us exploded into a number of lawsuits in 2025.
The previous Gossip Lady star kicked off the authorized battle by submitting a criticism with the California Civil Rights Division and subsequently sued Baldoni over sexual harassment allegations.
Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman fired again by calling Full of life’s allegations “utterly false, outrageous and deliberately salacious,” earlier than countersuing the actress for $400 million on the filmmaker’s behalf in January 2025.
Full of life’s attorneys declared “complete victory and an entire vindication” towards Baldoni when his countersuit was dismissed in June 2025, however their courtroom battle is much from over. A trial over Full of life’s unique lawsuit is ready to happen in New York in Might 2026, together with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, pal Taylor Swift and different It Ends With Us stars all being dragged into the matter alongside the best way.
Maintain scrolling for a full timeline of the authorized battle.
Full of life Information Criticism In opposition to Baldoni
The New York Occasions reported on December 21, 2024, that Full of life had filed a criticism with the California Civil Rights Division towards Baldoni. The preliminary criticism included a litany of accusations about Baldoni’s alleged onset conduct on It Ends With Us and alleged smear marketing campaign towards Full of life.
Full of life claimed {that a} assembly was held to handle “a hostile work setting” on It Ends With Us, the place her husband, Reynolds, was current. Full of life recounted requesting “no extra exhibiting nude movies or photographs of girls to Blake, no extra point out of Baldoni’s alleged earlier ‘pornography habit,’ no extra discussions about sexual conquests in entrance of Blake and others, no additional mentions of solid and crew’s genitalia, no extra inquiries about Blake’s weight, and no additional point out of Blake’s lifeless father” at this assembly.
Full of life allegedly additionally requested for “no extra including of intercourse scenes, oral intercourse or on digital camera climaxing by BL [Blake Lively] exterior the scope of the script BL authorised when signing onto the undertaking” to be added to It Ends With Us by Baldoni or different creatives.
Elsewhere, Full of life accused Baldoni of utilizing a “social manipulation” marketing campaign to smear her fame, together with sharing a textual content message allegedly despatched by his publicist to a studio PR contact about him allegedly wanting “to really feel like [Lively] may be buried.”
One other Criticism
Full of life’s authorized submitting referenced a criticism from an unnamed It Ends With Us actress about Baldoni’s onset conduct. Her attorneys wrote in courtroom paperwork that Full of life’s resolution to lift issues about Baldoni “weren’t just for herself, however for the opposite feminine solid and crew, a few of whom had additionally spoken up.”
“As results of Mr. Baldoni’s conduct, on Might 29, 2023, one other solid member lodged a sexual harassment criticism about Mr. Baldoni’s ‘gross’ and ‘undesirable remark[s]’ in direction of her and others,” the criticism learn.
Full of life acknowledged that Baldoni “expressly acknowledged her issues in writing” and promised to “regulate accordingly,” although she reported having one other worrying dialog with an actress following that settlement.
“On June 8, 2023, that actress knowledgeable Ms. Full of life that ‘exterior of something in a scene, I really can not discuss to Justin in any respect,” her attorneys alleged. “Mr. Baldoni later expressed suspicion relating to Ms. Full of life’s friendship with this actress, as in the event that they had been colluding towards him.”
Full of life alleged that Baldoni made demeaning and sexist feedback about her and different coworkers throughout manufacturing on It Ends With Us, along with sharing alleged particulars about having intercourse with out asking for consent prior to now. (Baldoni denied any wrongdoing.)
Baldoni’s Lawyer Responds
Within the fast aftermath, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman dismissed the advantage of the criticism in a press release to Us Weekly. The lawyer urged the criticism was Full of life’s try to “repair her unfavorable fame” and “rehash a story” that It Ends With Us’ manufacturing was troubled.
Freedman accused Full of life of constructing “a number of calls for and threats” all through manufacturing of the blockbuster, together with “threatening to not present as much as set, threatening to not promote the movie, in the end resulting in its demise throughout launch, if her calls for weren’t met.”
1st Point out of Taylor Swift Involvement
The first point out of Full of life’s buddy Swift’s involvement within the dispute seemingly got here in an exhibit connected to the criticism by the It Ends With Us actress’ attorneys. A disaster administration skilled working for Baldoni allegedly wrote in an August 2024 e-mail that “we have now seen probably the most innocuous points flip big resulting from socials or the hugest crises don’t have any impact on social in any way. You simply can not inform at this stage. However, BL [Blake Lively] does have a number of the identical TS [Taylor Swift] fanbase so we can be taking it extraordinarily severely.”
One other “situation planning” doc ready by Baldoni’s facet referenced how their “staff can even discover planting tales concerning the weaponization of feminism and the way folks like Taylor Swift, have been accused of using these techniques to ‘bully’ [enemies] into getting what they need.”
Full of life Makes 1st Assertion
In her first public assertion since submitting her sexual harassment criticism, Full of life described her authorized motion as an necessary step towards eliminating hostile work environments on Hollywood units.
“I hope that my authorized motion helps pull again the curtain on these sinister retaliatory techniques to hurt individuals who converse up about misconduct and helps defend others who could also be focused,” she mentioned on December 21, 2025.
Baldoni Dropped by Expertise Company
High executives at highly effective Hollywood expertise company WME made the choice on December 21, 2024, to drop Baldoni as a shopper within the wake of sexual harassment allegations in Full of life’s criticism. Full of life continued to be represented by WME.
Baldoni Has Award Rescinded
A spokesperson for the Important Voices Solidarity Awards introduced it was rescinding an award given to Baldoni for his allyship on behalf of girls’s rights.
“The Voices of Solidarity Award honors outstanding males who’ve proven braveness and compassion in advocating on behalf of girls and ladies,” a press release launched by way of Instagram on December 23, 2025, learn. “On December 9, 2024, we acknowledged Justin Baldoni with this award. On Saturday, December 21, we realized by means of information studies a couple of lawsuit introduced by Blake Full of life towards Mr. Baldoni, his publicists, and others that’s disturbing and alleges abhorrent conduct. The communications amongst Mr. Baldoni and his publicists within the lawsuit — and the PR effort they point out — are, alone, opposite to the values of Important Voices and the spirit of the Award.”
New Baldoni Assertion
Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman launched a brand new assertion on December 23, 2024, to disclaim that the filmmaker’s work with disaster administration agency The Company Group PR amounted to a “social manipulation.”
“TAG PR operated as every other disaster administration agency would when employed by a shopper experiencing threats by two extraordinarily highly effective folks with limitless assets,” Freedman mentioned. “The usual situation planning TAG PR drafted proved pointless as audiences discovered Full of life’s personal actions, interviews and advertising and marketing through the promotional tour distasteful, and responded organically to that which the media themselves picked up on.”

Justin Baldoni. Nathan Congleton/NBC by way of Getty Photographs
Freedman accused Full of life’s authorized staff of “cherry-picking” textual content messages between Baldoni and TAG PR to construct their case in a New York Occasions article concerning the scandal.
“It’s ironic that the New York Occasions, by means of their effort to ‘uncover’ an insidious PR effort, performed immediately into the fingers of Full of life’s personal doubtful PR techniques by publishing leaked private textual content exchanges that lack vital context — the exact same techniques she’s accusing the agency of implementing,” the lawyer mentioned.
Sony Helps Full of life
Sony Footage — the studio that distributed It Ends With Us — publicly supported Full of life in connection together with her work on the blockbuster with out immediately mentioning Baldoni.
“We have now beforehand expressed our help for Blake in connection together with her work on and for the movie. We totally and firmly reiterate that help right now,” a Sony consultant advised Selection in a December 23, 2024, assertion. “Additional, we strongly condemn any reputational assaults on her. Any such assaults don’t have any place in our enterprise or in a civil society.”
SAG-AFTRA Applauds Full of life
The performing union launched its personal assertion on December 23, 2024, to “applaud” Full of life’s “braveness in talking out on problems with retaliation and harassment and for her request to have an intimacy coordinator for all scenes with nudity or sexual content material.”
“This is a vital step that helps guarantee a secure set,” a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson continued. “Workers have each proper to lift problems with concern or to file complaints. Retaliation for reporting misconduct or inappropriate conduct is illegitimate and fallacious. All of us have a proper to be handled with dignity and respect on the job and to work in an setting freed from harassment, discrimination and retaliation.”
Jenny Slate Breaks Silence on Authorized Battle
Full of life’s It Ends With Us costar Jenny Slate got here to her protection in a strongly-worded assertion despatched to NBC’s At this time.
“As Blake Full of life’s castmate and buddy, I voice my help as she takes motion towards these reported to have deliberate and carried out an assault on her fame,” Slate mentioned on December 24, 2024. “Blake is a frontrunner, loyal buddy and a trusted supply of emotional help for me and so many who know and love her.”
She went on, “What has been revealed concerning the assault on Blake is very darkish, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my buddy, I love her bravery, and I stand by her facet.”
Baldoni Lawyer Guarantees Countersuit
Freedman confirmed to Deadline on December 28, 2024, that he was getting ready a countersuit towards Full of life on Baldoni’s behalf.
“I’m not going to talk to when or what number of lawsuits we’re submitting however after we file our first lawsuit, it will shock everybody who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative,” the lawyer mentioned. “Will probably be supported by actual proof and inform the true story.”
Freedman then warned, “In over 30 years of working towards, I’ve by no means seen this stage of unethical conduct deliberately fueled by means of media manipulation.”
Baldoni Sues ‘The New York Occasions’
The filmmaker filed a $250 million lawsuit towards The New York Occasions over its protection of Full of life’s criticism, on behalf of himself, his studio Wayfarer, publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, It Ends With Us producers Jamey Heath and Steve Saraowitz, and 5 others. The go well with accused Occasions workers of libel and false mild invasion of privateness for “cherry-picking” communications and textual content messages between Baldoni and a disaster PR agency for its article “We Can Bury Anybody: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine” by reporters Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire and Julie Tate.
Baldoni’s attorneys accused the Occasions of aiding in Group Full of life’s “strategic and manipulative” smear marketing campaign towards the director, which included making “sexual harassment allegations to say unilateral management over each side of the manufacturing” of It Ends With Us.
“The Occasions story relied virtually totally on Full of life’s unverified and self-serving narrative, lifting it practically verbatim whereas disregarding an abundance of proof that contradicted her claims and uncovered her true motives,” Baldoni’s authorized staff alleged in courtroom paperwork.
‘The New York Occasions’ Responds to Lawsuit
The New York Occasions stood by its reporting within the wake of Baldoni’s $250 million lawsuit.
“The position of an impartial information group is to observe the details the place they lead,” a press release from the Occasions learn on December 31, 2024. “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was primarily based on a assessment of 1000’s of pages of unique paperwork, together with the textual content messages and emails that we quote precisely and at size within the article. These texts and emails had been additionally the crux of a discrimination declare filed in California by Blake Full of life towards Justin Baldoni and his associates.”
One main disagreement between the 2 sides revolved round Baldoni alleging that the New York Occasions revealed its article sooner than it had initially promised.
“To handle some inaccuracies within the lawsuit, when looking for feedback from Mr. Baldoni and others who can be talked about within the article, The Occasions shared the knowledge that we supposed to publish, together with references to particular textual content messages and paperwork, requested them to determine any inaccuracies, present extra context and converse with our staff. Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer and the opposite topics selected to not have any conversations with The Occasions or tackle any of the particular textual content messages or paperwork and as a substitute emailed a joint response, which was revealed in full. (Additionally, they despatched their response to the Occasions at 11:16 p.m. ET Dec twentieth, not at 2:16 a.m. ET Dec twenty first because the criticism says.)”
A spokesperson for the outlet vowed to “vigorously defend” itself towards the lawsuit.
Full of life Responds to Baldoni’s ‘New York Occasions’ Go well with
Full of life’s spokesperson advised Us that any insinuation that she’d collaborated with The New York Occasions to defame Baldoni was “clearly false.”
“Nothing on this lawsuit modifications something concerning the claims superior in Ms. Full of life’s California Civil Rights Division Criticism, nor her federal criticism, filed earlier right now,” Full of life’s assertion learn on December 31, 2024. “This lawsuit is predicated on the clearly false premise that Ms. Full of life’s administrative criticism towards Wayfarer and others was a ruse primarily based on a selection ‘to not file a lawsuit towards Baldoni, Wayfarer,’ and that ‘litigation was by no means her final purpose.’ As demonstrated by the federal criticism filed by Ms. Full of life earlier right now, that body of reference for the Wayfarer lawsuit is fake. Whereas we won’t litigate this matter within the press, we do encourage folks to learn Ms. Full of life’s criticism in its entirety. We look ahead to addressing every certainly one of Wayfarer’s allegations in courtroom.”
Full of life Sues Baldoni
On the identical day as Baldoni took authorized motion towards The New York Occasions, Full of life sued him within the Southern District of New York for sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional misery, invasion of privateness and misplaced wages. Baldoni’s studio Wayfarer, together with publicists Nathan and Abel, had been additionally named in Full of life’s lawsuit.
“Earlier right now, Ms. Full of life filed a federal criticism towards Wayfarer Studios and others within the Southern District of New York,” Full of life’s attorneys advised Us on December 31, 2024. “Ms. Full of life beforehand despatched her California Civil Rights Division Criticism in response to the retaliatory marketing campaign Wayfarer launched towards her for reporting sexual harassment and office security issues. Sadly, Ms. Full of life’s resolution to talk out has resulted in additional retaliation and assaults.”

Blake Full of life. Mike Marsland/WireImage
Their assertion went on, “As alleged in Ms. Full of life’s federal Criticism, Wayfarer and its associates have violated federal and California state regulation by retaliating towards her for reporting sexual harassment and office security issues. Now, the defendants will reply for his or her conduct in federal courtroom. Ms. Full of life has introduced this litigation in New York, the place a lot of the related actions described within the Criticism occurred, however we reserve the fitting to pursue additional motion in different venues and jurisdictions as acceptable beneath the regulation.”
Baldoni Confirms Countersuit Plans
Freedman advised NBC Information on January 2, 2025, that his workplace was “completely” engaged on a countersuit towards Full of life.
“We plan to launch each single textual content message between the 2 of them,” Freedman advised the outlet. “We wish the reality to be on the market. We wish the paperwork to be on the market. We wish folks to make their willpower primarily based on receipts.”
In that very same interview, Freedman denied Full of life’s accusation that Baldoni coordinated a smear marketing campaign towards her in cooperation with a disaster administration agency.
“100% no,” he mentioned. “Justin Baldoni, from the get-go, mentioned, ‘I don’t need to do something unfavorable towards her. I don’t need to damage her.’”
Full of life Denounces Baldoni ‘Assaults’
Full of life’s attorneys condemned Freedman’s current public feedback in a press release to Us and insisted that her lawsuit was primarily based on “severe claims of sexual harassment and retaliation.”
“This isn’t a ‘feud’ arising from ‘artistic variations’ or a ‘he mentioned/she mentioned’ state of affairs,” the attorneys’ assertion mentioned on January 7, 2025. “As alleged in Ms. Full of life’s criticism, and as we’ll show in litigation, Wayfarer [Studios] and its associates engaged in illegal, retaliatory astroturfing towards Ms. Full of life for merely attempting to guard herself and others on a movie set. And their response to the lawsuit has been to launch extra assaults towards Ms. Full of life since her submitting.”
Full of life’s authorized representatives additional defined, “Sexual harassment and retaliation are unlawful in each office and in each business. A basic tactic to distract from allegations of any such misconduct is to ‘blame the sufferer’ by suggesting that they invited the conduct, introduced it on themselves, misunderstood the intentions, and even lied. One other basic tactic is to reverse the sufferer and offender, and counsel that the offender is definitely the sufferer. These ideas normalize and trivialize allegations of significant misconduct.”
Their assertion concluded, “Most significantly, media statements aren’t a protection to Ms. Full of life’s authorized claims. We’ll proceed to prosecute her claims in federal courtroom, the place the rule of regulation determines who prevails, not hyperbole and threats.”
Freedman advised Us on January 7, 2025, that the brand new feedback from Full of life’s attorneys had been a misrepresentation of the details.
“It’s painfully ironic that Blake Full of life is accusing Justin Baldoni of weaponizing the media when her personal staff orchestrated this vicious assault by sending the New York Occasions grossly edited paperwork previous to even submitting the criticism,” he mentioned. “We’re releasing the entire proof which is able to present a sample of bullying and threats to take over the film. None of it will come as a shock as a result of constant together with her previous conduct Blake Full of life used different folks to speak these threats and bully her technique to get no matter she wished. We have now all of the receipts!”
The ‘Nicepool’ Controversy
Us reported on January 14, 2025, that Freedman issued a litigation maintain letter to The Walt Disney Firm’s Bob Iger and Marvel Studio’s Kevin Feige to “protect all present paperwork and knowledge related” related to a possible lawsuit. Freedman particularly requested that Disney and Marvel Studios protect paperwork pertaining as to whether the character “Nicepool” in Reynolds’ 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine was supposed to mock Baldoni.
“[The request is] referring to or reflecting a deliberate try to mock, harass, ridicule, intimate or bully Baldoni by means of the character of ‘Nicepool,’” Freedman wrote. “It’s important that Marvel take each cheap step to protect this data till additional discover.”
Baldoni’s Studio Sues Full of life
Baldoni’s firm Wayfarer Studios filed a $400 million lawsuit towards Full of life, her husband, Reynolds, and her publicist, Leslie Sloane, on January 16, 2025. They accused Full of life of attempting to “make Baldoni the real-life villain in her story” to make up for “tone-deaf” promotion of her haircare and alcohol merchandise whereas releasing a movie about home violence.
The go well with accused Full of life of initiating a “takeover technique” on It Ends With Us resulting from artistic variations with Baldoni, along with a litany of claims about her preparedness to work and alleged demeaning onset feedback. He accused Full of life of pressuring different It Ends With Us castmates to “shun” him as soon as they began having artistic disputes.
“This lawsuit is a authorized motion primarily based on an awesome quantity of untampered proof detailing Blake Full of life and her staff’s duplicitous try to destroy Justin Baldoni, his staff and their respective corporations by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored data to the media,” Freedman advised Us. “It’s clear primarily based on our personal all out willingness to supply all full textual content messages, emails, video footage and different documentary proof that was shared between the events in actual time, that this can be a battle she won’t win and will definitely remorse. Blake Full of life was both severely misled by her staff or deliberately and knowingly misrepresented the reality.”
Freedman advised Us that the purpose of the lawsuit was to verify Full of life might “by no means once more be allowed to proceed to take advantage of precise victims of actual harassment solely for her private fame achieve on the expense of these with out energy.”
Taylor Swift Textual content Message
As a part of his lawsuit, Baldoni’s attorneys launched a textual content message from the filmmaker to Full of life that seemingly referenced her buddy Swift and Reynolds giving suggestions on It Ends With Us’ rooftop scene.
“Was engaged on rooftop scene right now, I actually love what you probably did. It actually does hep [sic] rather a lot,” he purportedly wrote. “Makes it a lot extra enjoyable and fascinating. (And I might have felt that manner with out Ryan and Taylor). You actually are a expertise throughout the board. Actually excited nd [sic] grateful to do that collectively.”
Full of life Responds to Baldoni Lawsuit
Full of life condemned Wayfarer’s lawsuit as a “determined” technique and described the authorized motion as “one other chapter within the abuser playbook.”
“That is an age-old story: A girl speaks up with concrete proof of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser makes an attempt to show the tables on the sufferer. That is what specialists name DARVO. Deny. Assault. Reverse Sufferer Offender,” Full of life’s representatives advised Us on January 16, 2025. “Wayfarer has opted to make use of the assets of its billionaire co-founder to problem media statements, launch meritless lawsuits, and threaten litigation to overwhelm the general public’s capability to grasp that what they’re doing is retaliation towards sexual harassment allegations.”
Her attorneys accused Baldoni of “attempting to shift the narrative to Ms. Full of life by falsely claiming that she seized artistic management and alienated the solid from Mr. Baldoni.”
“The proof will present that the solid and others had their very own unfavorable experiences with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. The proof can even present that Sony requested Ms. Full of life to supervise Sony’s minimize of the movie, which they then chosen for distribution and was a powerful success,” they mentioned. “Their response to sexual harassment allegations: she wished it, it’s her fault. Their justification for why this occurred to her: look what she was sporting. Briefly, whereas the sufferer focuses on the abuse, the abuser focuses on the sufferer. The technique of attacking the girl is determined, it doesn’t refute the proof in Ms. Full of life’s criticism, and it’ll fail.”
Baldoni Lawyer Defends Lawsuit
Freedman launched a press release to Deadline on January 18, 2025, to object to Full of life’s characterization of Baldoni’s lawsuit. The lawyer mentioned his go well with was full of “virtually 200 pages of simple details” that “crushed” Full of life’s “smear marketing campaign” with The New York Occasions.
“Blake and her authorized staff have only one heinous pivot left, and that’s to double down on the revoltingly false sexual allegations towards Mr. Baldoni,” Freedman mentioned.
Baldoni’s Uncommon Remark
The It Ends With Us director was filmed exterior Los Angeles Worldwide Airport on January 17, 2025, together with his daughter Maiya and son Maxwell, in addition to his spouse, Emily.
Requested how he was holding up, Baldoni replied: “We’re grateful to be with the household, man. We have now superb family and friends and religion.”
‘It Ends With Us’ Set Footage Launched
Freedman launched 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from It Ends With Us which purportedly confirmed Baldoni and Full of life having pleasant banter in between filming a romantic scene. Within the footage, Baldoni compliments Full of life about her marriage to Reynolds and she or he jokes about getting her “physique make-up” on her costar as they cuddled for a scene.
“Ms. Full of life’s criticism alleges that in a scene Mr. Baldoni and Ms. Full of life had been filming for a sluggish dance montage, Mr. Baldoni was behaving inappropriately. The next movies captured on Might 23, 2023, clearly refute Ms. Full of life’s characterization of his conduct,” Freedman advised Us in a press release on January 21, 2025. “The scene in query was designed to indicate the 2 characters falling in love and longing to be shut to at least one one other. Each actors are clearly behaving properly inside the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism. These are all three takes filmed of the sequence.”
Full of life’s Attorneys Condemn ‘It Ends With Us’ Footage Launch
Full of life’s attorneys dismissed Baldoni’s launch of behind-the-scenes footage from It Ends With Us as a “stunt” that did nothing to disprove their shopper’s allegations.
“The video exhibits Mr. Baldoni repeatedly leaning in towards Ms. Full of life, making an attempt to kiss her, kissing her brow, rubbing his face and mouth towards her neck, flicking her lip together with his thumb, caressing her, telling her how good she smells, and speaking together with her out of character,” her attorneys mentioned. “Each second of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no dialogue or consent prematurely and no intimacy coordinator current. Mr. Baldoni was not solely Ms. Full of life’s costar, however the director, the pinnacle of [the] studio and Ms. Full of life’s boss.”
Full of life’s authorized staff urged that anybody who’d been “inappropriately touched within the office” would acknowledge the actress’s conduct within the footage.

Justin Baldoni. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Photographs
“They are going to acknowledge her makes an attempt at levity to attempt to deflect the undesirable touching,” her attorneys argued. “No girl ought to need to take defensive measures to keep away from being touched by their employer with out their consent.”
Their assertion concluded, “The matter is in energetic litigation in federal courtroom. Releasing this video to the media, slightly than presenting it as proof in courtroom, is one other instance of an unethical try to govern the general public. It is usually a continuation of their harassment and retaliatory marketing campaign. Whereas they’re centered on deceptive media narratives, we’re centered on the authorized course of. We’re persevering with our efforts to require Mr. Baldoni and his associates to reply in courtroom, beneath oath, slightly than by means of manufactured media stunts.”
Trial Date Set
Decide Lewis J. Liman, of the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of New York, introduced on January 27, 2025, that Baldoni and Full of life’s trial would start on March 9, 2026, until they settled their dispute beforehand.
Full of life and Reynolds Attempt to Dismiss Baldoni Countersuit
The couple requested a federal decide on January 30, 2025, to dismiss Baldoni’s countersuit. Full of life additionally tried to block Freedman from having the ability to depose her as a part of their authorized battle.
No Mediation
In a uncommon second of settlement, Baldoni and Full of life’s attorneys filed a joint letter to Decide Liman on January 30, 2025, to say that they each “agreed that settlement discussions can be untimely” on the time. Decide Liman in the end granted their request to forego conventional mediation processes since Full of life was getting ready to file an “amended criticism imminently.”
Baldoni Launches Web site About Case
Amid very public complaints from Full of life and her attorneys, Freedman moved ahead with the launch of a web site concerning the case on February 1, 2025. The web site — which has the URL of “thelawsuitinfo.com” — went stay with an enormous 224-page “Amended Criticism” detailing Baldoni’s accusations towards Full of life, plus a 168-page PDF breaking down the timeline of their dispute.
A few of the proof featured on the web site included a textual content message the place Reynolds allegedly known as Baldoni a “standup individual,” plus extra communication between the director and Full of life over It Ends With Us’ iconic rooftop scene. The location even featured an alleged message drafted by Reynolds and Full of life the place they took accountability for the much-maligned promotion of It Ends With Us.
“Justin and staff have the fitting to defend themselves with the reality,” Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman advised Us concerning the web site. “And that is what we can be persevering with to indicate with the upcoming web site containing all correspondence in addition to related movies that immediately quash her claims.”
Monetary Influence
Freedman revealed at a pretrial convention on February 3, 2025, that Baldoni and different events named in Full of life’s lawsuit had been “devastated financially and emotionally” due to the case.
“To not sound like a 4-year-old combating a 4-year-old with ‘they began it,’ however in these sorts of instances, as soon as somebody says one thing it turns into truth: There’s no technique to battle towards it,” Freedman advised the courtroom.
In her personal assertion, Full of life’s lawyer Michael Gottlieb argued that the affect of Baldoni’s accusations had been “devastating” for the actress’s life and profession.
Full of life Sued by Disaster PR Agency
Jed Wallace and his firm, Road Relations Inc. — a disaster PR agency named in Full of life’s preliminary criticism towards Baldoni however reportedly not included in her eventual lawsuit — filed a lawsuit towards the actress on February 5, 2025. Wallace alleged that the “harm was executed” by Full of life merely linking him to the It Ends With Us dispute.
Wallace claimed that Full of life wrongly related him to serving to disaster administration agency TAG PR with “their illegal retaliatory social fight marketing campaign.” He alleged his firm suffered thousands and thousands of {dollars} of hurt in addition to greater than 1,000,000 {dollars} in projected losses for Road Relations Inc.
Full of life’s authorized staff responded by telling Us: “One other day, one other state, one other nine-figure lawsuit looking for to sue Ms. Full of life ‘into oblivion’ for talking out towards sexual harassment and retaliation. This isn’t only a publicity stunt — it’s clear retaliation in response to allegations contained inside a sexual harassment and retaliation criticism that Ms. Full of life filed with the California Civil Rights Division. Whereas this lawsuit can be dismissed, we’re happy that Mr. Wallace has lastly emerged from the shadows, and that he too can be held accountable in federal courtroom.”
Cellphone Data Subpoenaed
Us confirmed on February 13, 2025, that Full of life’s attorneys despatched subpoenas to AT&T, Verizon and T-Cellular looking for cellphone data for Baldoni, producer Jamey Heath and Wayfarer Studios cofounder Steve Sarowitz, plus Baldoni’s publicists Abel and Nathan.
“Cellphone data belonging to the entire particular person defendants will expose the total net of people who had been concerned within the smear marketing campaign towards Ms. Full of life,” a Full of life consultant defined to Us. “Such data will present vital and irrefutable proof not solely about who, but in addition about when, the place, and the way their retaliation plan got here collectively and operated.”
Freedman responded by telling Us that subpoenas “are an strange a part of the litigation” earlier than decrying Group Full of life’s newest request.
“What’s extraordinary is what the Full of life Events are looking for. They’re asking for each single name, textual content, knowledge log, and even real-time location data for the previous 2.5 years, whatever the sender, recipient, or subject material,” he claimed. “This huge fishing expedition demonstrates that they’re desperately looking for any factual foundation for his or her provably false claims. They are going to discover none.”
Reynolds Jokes About Case on ‘SNL’
Reynolds and Full of life each attended the Saturday Evening Reside fiftieth anniversary particular in New York Metropolis on February 16, 2025, the place the Deadpool actor made mild of the couple’s authorized drama.
Throughout a phase the place Amy Poehler and Tina Fey interviewed celebrities within the stay studio viewers, the SNL legends requested Reynolds how he was doing.

Blake Full of life and Ryan Reynolds. TheStewartofNY/WireImage
“[I’m doing] nice. Why, what have you ever heard?” Reynolds replied because the digital camera flashed to Full of life with a clean expression.
Baldoni Lawyer Condemns ‘SNL’ Joke
Freedman wasn’t laughing about Reynolds’ joke on the SNL fiftieth anniversary particular when he was requested about it on the “Sizzling Mics With Billy Bush” podcast on February 17, 2025.
“I’m unaware of anyone, frankly, whose spouse has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that sort of state of affairs. I can’t consider anybody who’s executed something like that,” the lawyer mentioned. “So it shocked me.”
New Accusations In opposition to Baldoni
Following the January 30 pretrial convention, Full of life filed an amended criticism in a New York courtroom on February 18, 2025, with new accusations towards Baldoni. One of many greater revelations in Full of life’s criticism concerned new particulars about alleged office harassment that different girls who labored on It Ends With Us allegedly confronted from Baldoni. (The opposite get together is just not named immediately in Full of life’s amended criticism.)
The revised courtroom paperwork accused Wayfarer Studios of launching a “farce” investigation into sexual harassment complaints towards Baldoni as a result of the filmmaker was nonetheless concerned within the firm.
“The amended criticism particulars the corroboration that backs up Blake’s unique sexual harassment and retaliation issues, together with that (1) Justin Baldoni and Jamey Heath made different girls uncomfortable on set; and (2) different girls confided in Blake about their discomfort and worry of coming ahead, and their concern concerning the present public vitriol,” a spokesperson for Full of life advised Us in a press release. “The brand new submitting additionally particulars {that a} Sony consultant spoke to Baldoni concerning the issues, and that Baldoni responded, together with by reaching out to one of many different girls who complained to reassure her that he heard her and promised to make changes.”
Based on Full of life, Baldoni “didn’t observe by means of on that promise” to regulate his conduct. Full of life alleges that Baldoni determined as a substitute to “rent a disaster administration staff, digital manipulation specialists, litigators, and used these helpers to plan and execute the smear marketing campaign.”
“In doing so, Blake has alleged, Baldoni hoped that if she or every other girl made their grievances public, no person would consider them,” Full of life’s spokesperson concluded.
Baldoni Responds to New Accusations
On February 19, 2025, Freedman described Full of life’s amended criticism as “underwhelming” and as soon as once more dinged Reynolds for joking concerning the case on SNL.
“Our shoppers have taken this matter and these points very severely however the jokes made publicly by the plaintiff and her husband,” he advised Us. “Her underwhelming amended criticism is full of unsubstantial rumour of unnamed individuals who’re clearly now not prepared to come back ahead or publicly help her claims. Since paperwork don’t lie and folks do, the upcoming depositions of those that initially supported Ms. Full of life’s false claims and those that are witnesses to her personal conduct can be enlightening. What is really uncomfortable right here is Ms. Full of life’s lack of precise proof.”
Full of life and Reynolds Search Extra Safety
Full of life and Reynolds submitted a authorized request for a stronger protecting order to be issued on their behalf on February 20, 2025. The couple argued in courtroom paperwork that “extra protections” had been wanted since they’d been topic to violent threats resulting from their dispute with Baldoni.
“As detailed in Ms. Full of life’s Amended Criticism, Ms. Full of life, her household, different members of the solid, varied truth witnesses, and people which have spoken out publicly in help of Ms. Full of life have acquired violent, profane, sexist, and threatening communications,” their attorneys alleged.
Group Baldoni advised Us that they didn’t help anybody sending threatening messages on his behalf.
“Anybody receiving violent messages by nameless events is abhorrent,” his attorneys declared. “When personal events had been wrongfully accused by Full of life and her paid staff of wrongdoing, they acquired steady dying threats and visits to non-public houses the place younger kids reside after their addresses had been leaked on her preliminary complaints. Nobody ought to need to face that, particularly personal events who should not have means for safety element. We don’t condone harmful rhetoric focused towards anybody irrespective of the state of affairs.”
Full of life’s Publicist Seeks Elimination From Case
Full of life’s publicist Sloane formally requested a New York federal courtroom to take away her firm Imaginative and prescient PR from Baldoni’s countersuit on February 20, 2025. She alleged that her firm was included within the authorized wrangling as a part of a “smoke and mirrors train to distract” from Full of life’s sexual harassment accusations towards Baldoni.
Public Info Conflict
Baldoni requested Decide Liman on February 25, 2025, to block Full of life’s try to instate an “Legal professional’s Eyes Solely” stipulation within the case, which might block the discharge of sure delicate data to the general public through the discovery course of.
Baldoni’s lawyer Mitchell Schuster expressed shock at Full of life’s attempting to “forestall the general public from accessing materials and related proof” given her lawyer’s earlier public statements concerning the significance of her sexual harassment go well with. He urged Full of life was attempting to make use of the courtroom movement to “rehabilitate her tarnished picture with daring statements to the press.”

Justin Baldoni. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs
“Ms. Full of life lacks a ‘good religion’ perception that there’s any data of such a ‘personally delicate nature’ that disclosure thereof to the events ‘would unnecessarily violate [her] privateness rights,’” Schuster argued.
Full of life’s lawyer Gottlieb hit again at Group Baldoni for exhibiting “callous disregard and disrespect for a lady advocating for probably the most fundamental office protections towards sexual harassment” with its authorized letter. He additionally condemned “sure on-line content material creators” for “parrot[ing] the Wayfarer Events’ line” with deceptive claims about Full of life.
Full of life’s New Disaster PR
A spokesperson for the actress confirmed to Us on February 28, 2025, that she employed PR disaster supervisor Nick Shapiro to advise on the case. Shapiro beforehand served because the CIA’s deputy chief of workers and was an advisor to former director John Brennan.
“The litigation staff for Ms. Full of life retained Mr. Shapiro to advise on the authorized communications technique for the continuing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit occurring within the Southern District of New York,” Full of life’s authorized staff mentioned.
Decide Guidelines on Protecting Order
On March 13, 2025, Decide Liman partially granted Full of life’s request for extra protections. The ruling allowed for sure paperwork in case to solely go between attorneys.
“At this time, the Court docket rejected the Wayfarer Events’ objections and entered the protections wanted to make sure the free movement of discovery materials with none threat of witness intimidation or hurt to any particular person’s safety,” a spokesperson for Full of life advised Us in a press release. “With this order in place, Ms. Full of life will transfer ahead within the discovery course of to acquire much more of the proof that can show her claims in Court docket.”
Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman replied: “We’re totally in settlement with the Court docket’s resolution to supply a slim scope of protections to classes comparable to personal psychological well being data and private safety measures which have by no means been of curiosity to us. Versus Ms. Full of life’s exceedingly over broad demand for paperwork for a 2 [and a half] yr time frame which the courtroom rightly quashed.”
Ryan Reynolds Information for Elimination
In courtroom paperwork obtained by Us on March 18, 2025, Reynolds requested to be faraway from Baldoni’s countersuit as a result of the director couldn’t “determine a single allegedly defamatory assertion” made by the actor.
“The whole lot of Mr. Baldoni’s case seems to be primarily based on Mr. Reynolds allegedly privately calling Mr. Baldoni a ‘predator,’ however right here is the issue, that’s not defamation until they’ll present that Mr. Reynolds didn’t consider that assertion to be true,” Reynolds’ attorneys Gottlieb and Hudson advised Us. “The criticism doesn’t allege that, and simply the alternative, the allegations within the criticism counsel that Mr. Reynolds genuinely believes Mr. Baldoni is a predator.”
Reynolds’ spokesperson accused Baldoni of compiling “a listing of grievances making an attempt to disgrace Mr. Reynolds for being the person Mr. Baldoni has constructed his model pretending to be, a person who’s ‘assured sufficient to pay attention’ to the girl in his life.”
Baldoni Fires Again at Reynolds
Freedman accused Reynolds of steady “exploitation of his huge energy” by attempting to take away himself from the lawsuit.
“Mr. Reynolds was a key participant within the scheme, defaming Justin round Hollywood, strong-arming WME into dropping Justin as a shopper, and attempting to destroy Justin’s profession nevertheless attainable,” Baldoni’s lawyer advised Us on March 19, 2025. “His fingerprints have been throughout this smear marketing campaign towards Justin and the Wayfarer staff since day one.”
Full of life Tries to Dismiss Baldoni Countersuit
The Gossip Lady alum adopted an analogous authorized tactic to Reynolds by asking a decide to dismiss Baldoni’s multi-million greenback lawsuit on March 20, 2025. Her authorized staff claimed that the lawsuit was “a profound abuse of the authorized course of” that had “no place in federal courtroom.”
“California regulation now expressly prohibits suing victims who make the choice to talk out towards sexual harassment or retaliation, whether or not in a lawsuit or within the press,” Full of life’s attorneys Gottlieb and Hudson advised Us. “This meritless and retaliatory lawsuit runs head first into three authorized obstacles, together with the litigation, honest report, and sexual harassment privileges, the latter of which comprises a compulsory charge shifting provision that can require the likes of … Wayfarer Studios, and others that introduced frivolous defamation claims towards Ms. Full of life to pay damages. In different phrases, in an epic self-own, the Wayfarer Events’ try to sue Ms. Full of life ‘into oblivion’ has solely created extra legal responsibility for them, and deservedly so, given what they’ve executed.”

Blake Full of life. BG048/Bauer-Griffin/GC Photographs
Freedman unloaded on Full of life’s newest authorized maneuvering by calling it “one of the crucial abhorrent examples of abusing our authorized system.”
“Stringent guidelines are put into place to guard the harmless and permit people to rightfully defend themselves,” Baldoni’s lawyer replied. “Legal guidelines aren’t meant to be twisted and curated by privileged elites to suit their very own private agenda. As we mentioned yesterday in response to Mr. Reynolds’ identical cowardly measures, we’ll proceed to carry Ms. Full of life accountable for her actions of pure malice which embrace falsely accusing my shoppers of harassment and retaliation. Her fantastical claims can be swiftly debunked as discovery strikes ahead, simply disproved with precise, evidentiary proof.”
Baldoni Provides Publicist to Lawsuit
Baldoni amended his lawsuit to incorporate Stephanie Jones, whose PR firm used to make use of his one-time disaster administration skilled Abel. His attorneys alleged that Jones took Abel’s work cellphone and handed it over to Group Full of life, who then mined it for emails and textual content messages for his or her lawsuit.
“It’s simple that Stephanie Jones initiated this catastrophic sequence of occasions by violating probably the most fundamental of privateness rights, in addition to any remaining belief her shoppers held,” Freedman mentioned in a press release to Us on March 21, 2025. “No stranger to stirring up disaster situations for departing shoppers, Ms. Jones maliciously turned over communications from the cellphone she wrongfully took from her personal companion to her cohort Leslie Sloane, instantly after Jones was terminated for trigger by Wayfarer resulting from her personal wrongful conduct.”
Baldoni’s authorized transfer adopted Jones submitting a lawsuit towards Abel, Baldoni and others. In her go well with, Jones accused them of orchestrating an alleged smear marketing campaign towards Full of life
Jones’ consultant Kristin Tahler advised Us: “Abel, Nathan, Baldoni and their co-defendants tried to attain these outcomes by means of bullying, distortion and outright disparagement. These details are backed up by dozens of messages supplied within the go well with we filed a month in the past and can’t be credibly disputed. Having no details or proof, we see a well-recognized playbook — smear our shopper, culminating within the work of fiction masquerading because the counterclaims that had been filed yesterday.”
Baldoni Defends Suing Reynolds
Baldoni’s attorneys formally filed paperwork on April 3, 2025, to oppose Reynolds being dropped from their lawsuit. They labeled Reynolds a “co-conspirator” within the smear marketing campaign and urged there have been “ample details” to help him being included within the go well with.
“The primary takeaway from the Wayfarer Events’ opposition to Ryan’s movement to dismiss their case is that they lastly notice the plain defects of their criticism,” Reynolds’ spokesperson advised Us in response. “They as soon as once more declare defamation with out alleging who was defamed, what particularly was mentioned, or how anybody suffered precise hurt.”
They went on, “In contrast to Mr. Baldoni, who constructed his model pretending to be a person who’s ‘assured sufficient to pay attention’ to the ladies in his life, Ryan Reynolds really is that man and he’ll proceed to help his spouse as she stands as much as the people who not solely harassed her however then have retaliated towards her. Below New York regulation, California regulation, and certainly in each jurisdiction of america this lawsuit not solely fails however might outcome within the Wayfarer Events protecting Ryan’s prices and attorneys’ charges for bringing such a frivolous case within the first place.”
‘Scorched Earth’
Full of life’s attorneys Hudson and Gottlieb shared a press release with Us on April 10, 2025, by which they accused Baldoni’s facet of utilizing “scorched earth litigation” to forestall folks from coming ahead with sexual harassment complaints. The 2 attorneys urged Group Baldoni was “tear[ing] down” authorized protections for accusers with their courtroom techniques.
“Mr. Baldoni has gone from monetizing a model dedicated to believing and supporting girls, to main the cost to tear down the very regulation that protects girls who come ahead about sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.” they advised Us. “California’s sexual harassment privilege, AB 933, was enacted to cease perpetrators of sexual harassment from abusing defamation lawsuits to sue their accusers into oblivion.”
Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman responded that it was Full of life who’d used “calculated efforts first to extort and manipulate” others to go towards his shopper.
“Ms. Full of life and her circle of Hollywood elites can not forestall my shoppers from exercising their constitutional proper to petition the courtroom to clear their names from her false and dangerous claims,” Freedman added. “What Ms. Full of life is making an attempt to do is to set a harmful precedent by barring the courthouse doorways to my shoppers and punishing them for having their day in courtroom, a proper protected by the First Modification.”
Marvel Responds to Baldoni Lawsuit
After being dragged into the dispute as a result of “Nicepool” character in Reynolds’ film Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel Studios requested Decide Liman on April 29, 2025, to “quash the subpoena issued to Marvel” and grant a “protecting order prohibiting the disclosure of Marvel’s confidential paperwork” pertaining to spoilers for future story traces within the MCU.
“The requested paperwork are significantly delicate as a result of they relate to the event of a personality in an ongoing film franchise,” their letter to the courtroom learn. “Marvel has constructed the success of the MCU largely by interconnecting storylines, plots, and characters throughout its titles, together with ‘crossover’ occasions and sequels. Whether or not and the way such parts will seem in upcoming, unreleased tasks is the topic of a lot public curiosity, and this data is carefully guarded by Marvel.”
Baldoni’s counsel replied: “My workplace met and conferred with Marvel’s counsel by way of phone concerning the objections, and though we tried in good religion to handle Marvel’s purported issues about confidentiality and relevancy, Marvel’s counsel interrupted us, refusing to interact in that dialogue.”
“As a substitute, Marvel’s counsel interjected and acknowledged he merely wished to know what paperwork the Wayfarer Events ‘actually’ wanted, whatever the Subpoena’s demand for all paperwork regarding: (a) the creation, improvement, modification or portrayal of Ryan Reynolds’ ‘Nicepool’ character from Deadpool & Wolverine; and (b) Justin Baldoni,” Freedman continued.
Wayfarer Basis Shuts Down
Baldoni‘s charitable Wayfarer Basis introduced on Might 6, 2025, that it was shutting down amid its cofounder’s dispute with Full of life.
“Over the previous 4 years, Wayfarer Basis has supported dozens of grantee companions in fulfilling their missions,” cofounder Sarowitz introduced by way of Instagram. “I’m so extremely pleased with the affect this group has made and deeply grateful for our workers, board, donors and companions.”

Justin Baldoni. Frazer Harrison/Getty Photographs
The Wayfarer Basis instantly started “the method of sunsetting the Basis,” in response to Sarowitz.
“We’ll honor all of our present grant commitments as we rigorously wind down operations over the following a number of weeks,” he vowed. “Though the Wayfarer Basis is closing, my private dedication to giving stays sturdy, and I’m devoted to creating an affect on society by means of the continuing mission and work.”
Full of life Will Testify
In a bombshell announcement, Full of life’s lawyer Gottlieb advised Folks on Might 8, 2025, that the actress deliberate to testify in her 2026 trial towards Baldoni.
“The last word second for a plaintiff’s story to be advised is at trial,” Gottlieb mentioned. “We anticipate that to be the case right here [with Lively]. So we might, after all, anticipate her to be a witness at her trial. After all, she’s going to testify.”
Full of life Lawyer Slams Attainable Taylor Swift Subpoena
Gottlieb additionally used his interview with Folks to discourage Group Baldoni from subpoenaing Full of life’s buddy Swift, in addition to her husband, Reynolds, of their 2026 trial.
“It’s utterly unclear what claims or defenses, within the case any of those celebrities … have any relevance to in any respect,” he complained.
He then argued: “It is a case about what occurred to Blake Full of life when she raised claims of sexual harassment on the set. It’s not a case about how songs had been chosen for the film. It’s not a case about fictional Marvel characters in Deadpool motion pictures.”
Taylor Swift Subpoenaed
Group Baldoni adopted by means of on their earlier menace by formally issuing Swift a subpoena in reference to the 2026 trial. Swift’s spokesperson argued the subpoena was meritless as a result of the singer “by no means set foot on the set of” It Ends With Us, nor did she make “casting or artistic selections.”
“She didn’t rating the movie, she by no means noticed an edit or made any notes on the movie,” her rep advised Us on Might 9, 2025. “She didn’t even see It Ends With Us till weeks after its public launch, and was touring across the globe throughout 2023 and 2024 headlining the most important tour in historical past.”
Swift’s spokesperson reiterated that the one connection the musician needed to It Ends With Us was permitting her music “My Tears Ricochet” for use within the blockbuster.
“On condition that her involvement was licensing a music for the movie, which 19 different artists additionally did, this doc subpoena is designed to make use of Taylor Swift’s title to attract public curiosity by creating tabloid clickbait as a substitute of specializing in the details of the case,” her rep insisted.
Swift requested the courtroom to reject Group Baldoni’s subpoena on Might 13, 2025.
Baldoni Returns to Instagram
Amid studies that Group Full of life was trying into his monetary background, Baldoni returned to social media after a five-month hiatus to have fun Mom’s Day.
“My mother gave us religion. My spouse is the definition of it. Our kids are rising up within the fortress of that love,” he wrote by way of Instagram on Might 11, 2025, alongside a household picture. “Blissful Mom’s Day to all ❤️.”
Taylor Swift Dropped from Lawsuit
A supply near the matter advised Us on Might 22, 2025, {that a} summons for Swift was quietly rescinded as a result of “data was voluntarily supplied” to Baldoni’s authorized staff.
“We’re happy that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Events have withdrawn their harassing subpoenas to Taylor Swift and her regulation agency,” Group Full of life responded by way of a press release. “We supported the efforts of Taylor’s staff to quash these inappropriate subpoenas directed to her counsel and we’ll proceed to face up for any third get together who’s unjustly harassed or threatened within the course of.”
They continued, “The Baldoni and Wayfarer staff have tried to place Taylor Swift, a lady who has been an inspiration for tens of thousands and thousands throughout the globe, on the heart of this case since day one. Exploiting Taylor Swift’s celeb was the unique plan in Melissa Nathan’s situation planning doc, and it continues to today. Confronted with having to justify themselves in federal courtroom, they folded. Sooner or later they may run out of distractions from the precise claims of sexual harassment and retaliation they’re going through.”
Baldoni Lawsuit’s Dismissed
Decide Liman formally granted Full of life and Reynolds’ request to dismiss Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit on June 9, 2025, along with dismissing Baldoni’s defamation go well with towards The New York Occasions. The decide did enable for Baldoni to refile with amended claims by June 23, 2025.
Full of life’s attorneys known as Decide Liman’s resolution “a complete victory and an entire vindication” for her facet.
“As we have now mentioned from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court docket noticed proper by means of it,” Group Full of life advised Us in a press release. “We look ahead to the following spherical, which is looking for attorneys’ charges, treble damages and punitive damages towards Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the opposite Wayfarer Events who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
Full of life Breaks Silence
Hours after Baldoni’s countersuit was dismissed, Full of life celebrated the ruling with an impassioned Instagram assertion.
“Final week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organizations united in defending girls’s rights to talk up for his or her security,” she wrote to Instagram followers on June 9, 2025. “Like so many others, I’ve felt the ache of a retaliatory lawsuit, together with the manufactured disgrace that tries to interrupt us.”
Full of life famous: “Whereas the go well with towards me was defeated, so many don’t have the assets to battle again. I’m extra resolved than ever to proceed to face for each girl’s proper to have a voice in defending themselves, together with their security, their integrity, their dignity and their story.”
Baldoni Legal professional Responds to Lawsuit Dismissal
Freedman advised Us in a press release on June 10, 2025, that Group Full of life’s “predictable declaration of victory” was “false.”
“Whereas the Court docket dismissed the defamation-related claims, the Court docket has invited us to amend 4 out of the seven claims towards Ms. Full of life, which is able to showcase extra proof and refined allegations,” Freedman clarified. “This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear marketing campaign, which Ms. Full of life’s personal staff conveniently describes as ‘untraceable’ as a result of they can not show what by no means occurred.”
Baldoni Declines to Refile Lawsuit
On June 24, 2025, Baldoni’s authorized staff confirmed it wouldn’t file an amended authorized go well with towards Full of life and Reynolds as a way to deal with the invention course of for his or her 2026 trial.
“The Court docket’s resolution on the movement to dismiss has no impact in any way on the reality that there was no harassment nor any smear marketing campaign, and it doesn’t in any manner have an effect on our vigorous protection towards Ms. Full of life’s claims,” Freedman advised Folks.
Superstar Subpoenas Exchanged
With the authorized battle now refocused on the 2026 trial, Group Full of life requested Decide Liman on June 13, 2024, to problem a brand new “protecting order” to dam Group Baldoni’s “persevering with calls for” over her communication with Swift. Full of life’s attorneys alleged that Baldoni had failed to supply “the paperwork they publicly claimed to have acquired as a part of a deal to withdraw their subpoenas” from Swift.
In the meantime, it was reported Group Full of life deliberate to problem its personal subpoenas to conservative commentator Candace Owens, podcaster Andy Signore and blogger Perez Hilton.
“Given the truth that I’ve not acquired any subpoena but, I recognize Blake’s staff leaking this to TMZ to alert me to it,” Owens advised Folks in a press release. “And, after all, I’ve not the slightest concept what I’m being subpoenaed for as I knew none of those events when their respective lawsuits had been filed. However keep tuned, and I’ll let audiences know on my podcast.”
PR Government Dismissed From Full of life Lawsuit
Decide Liman formally dismissed PR skilled Jed Wallace from Full of life’s amended lawsuit on July 16, 2025, due to an absence of jurisdiction, since Wallace and his firm, Road Relations, are primarily based in Texas, not New York the place Full of life filed her go well with. Full of life had alleged that Wallace took half in orchestrating a smear marketing campaign towards her on Baldoni’s behalf — which the PR government denied.
“Ms. Full of life respects the Court docket’s resolution, which has nothing to do with the deserves of her allegations about Mr. Wallace’s position within the smear marketing campaign and relates solely to the procedural query of whether or not he’s topic to jurisdiction in New York or elsewhere,” a spokesperson for Full of life advised Us. “We at present are evaluating our quite a few choices for holding Mr. Wallace accountable for the pivotal position he served within the retaliatory effort that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Events paid him at the least tens of 1000’s of {dollars} a month to carry out.”
Full of life Deposition Takes Place
Full of life took half in her delayed deposition on July 31, 2025 in New York Metropolis. Baldoni was within the room, alongside together with his authorized staff, to witness the actress reply questions on their onset feud and ongoing authorized dispute.
Leaked Deposition Dispute
4 days after the deposition, Group Full of life accused Baldoni of making an attempt to launch the total “292-page transcript” to the general public docket as a part of “a “manufactured excuse to drive the transcript into the general public area as fodder for the Wayfarer Defendants’ media marketing campaign.”
“There isn’t a conceivable authorized goal to file the entire transcript, significantly on condition that it has not been reviewed, corrected or finalized, and a mere two pages of it had been cited of their argument,” Group Full of life wrote in a letter to the courtroom.
Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman responded on August 6, 2025, to disclaim that his facet tried to launch the deposition transcript.
“[Blake] additionally fails to elucidate why any such ‘leak’ couldn’t have originated from [Lively], her husband [Reynolds], her a number of attorneys, authorized or administrative workers from the regulation agency representing her (whose workplace she demanded host the deposition), or the catering workers employed thereby who served lunch,” Freedman responded.
Full of life Scores Win Over Deposition
Decide Liman granted Group Full of life’s request on August 8, 2025, to block Group Baldoni from introducing parts of her deposition within the courtroom document earlier than the transcript was finalized. Freedman beforehand connected a portion of Full of life’s transcript to a courtroom movement beneath seal as supporting proof.
Isabela Ferrer Drama Begins
Group Baldoni requested Decide Liman to compel It Ends With Us star Isabela Ferrer — who performed a youthful model of Full of life’s character Lily within the film — to flip over textual content messages related to the case.
Within the August 12, 2025, courtroom submitting, Baldoni’s attorneys alleged that they’d didn’t serve Ferrer with a subpoena at a number of places and that the actress’s lawyer didn’t reply to their request to show over knowledge associated to the case. Group Baldoni sought “all paperwork referring to any discriminatory, harassing, retaliatory, inappropriate or unwelcome motion, conduct or assertion.”
Baldoni alleged that Full of life pressured Ferrer to isolate herself from him through the manufacturing of It Ends With Us.
Ferrer Accuses Group Baldoni of ‘Harassment’
Ferrer’s authorized staff alleged in courtroom paperwork on August 18, 2025, that Group Baldoni was “harassing” her in “clear efforts to exert strain on Ms. Ferrer” to show over communications with Full of life. Her attorneys requested the courtroom to disclaim Baldoni’s request for paperwork and impose sanctions upon him.
“Baldoni has tried to govern, threaten, management and in any other case act inappropriately in direction of Ms. Ferrer,” Ferrer’s attorneys alleged.
Group Baldoni dismissed these accusations on August 19, 2025, and insisted they had been solely after “paperwork that [Ferrer] both uncared for to supply or weren’t requested” when Full of life first subpoenaed her in February 2025.
Textual content Messages and Emails Unsealed
On August 25, Decide Liman unsealed a choice of Baldoni’s textual content messages and emails that had been beforehand redacted displays from certainly one of Full of life’s courtroom motions.
One message included an trade between Baldoni and his PR agent about an “instance of somebody trolling Blake” from his Instagram account that won’t have been “an actual account.” The publicist insisted that the message was doubtlessly written by an “precise troll” and that it was “one hundred pc” not anybody from Baldoni’s staff.
One other textual content message from Baldoni’s enterprise companion Jamey Heath referenced hiring a “disaster administration staff” that price “$9 million.”
“Simply need to handle each land mine so it doesn’t go off,” the textual content message from Heath learn. “And there’s simply a lot to it.”
Full of life Seeks Hundreds of thousands from Baldoni
Within the wake of Baldoni’s countersuit being dismissed in June 2025, Full of life sought a multi-million greenback payout from the director for alleged abuse of the courtroom system in September 2025. Us obtained courtroom paperwork by which Group Full of life alleged she was owed “cheap lawyer’s charges and prices for efficiently defending [herself] within the litigation.” Full of life deliberate to hunt damages for financial, emotional and psychological harms along with the aforementioned charges.

Blake Full of life. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs for TIME
Full of life cited California’s Defending Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act, which “ensures that people who expertise sexual harassment or retaliation are in a position to share their experiences with courts, companies, the press and others with out worry of being sued for doing so.”
Baldoni’s attorneys have insisted the regulation doesn’t apply to Full of life’s case.
Taylor Swift Deposition Drama
In a stunning improvement, Us solely reported on September 11 that Baldoni’s staff filed courtroom docs stating that Swift “agreed to seem” for a deposition in October.
Nevertheless, Swift’s personal attorneys issued a response to counter any suggestion that the singer volunteered to be deposed.
“As counsel for the events know, for the reason that inception of this matter we have now persistently maintained that my shopper has no materials position on this motion,” Swift’s authorized staff wrote to Decide Liman on September 12. “Additional, my shopper didn’t comply with a deposition, but when she is pressured right into a deposition, we suggested (after first listening to concerning the deposition simply three days in the past) that her schedule would accommodate the time required through the week of October 20 if the events had been in a position to work out their disputes. We take no position in these disputes.”
Group Full of life blasted Freedman’s framing of Swift’s deposition as voluntary and identified {that a} proposed late October date would happen after the cutoff for the invention course of.
“On this respect, [Baldoni and his team’s] lack of diligence, and disrespect for [Swift’s] privateness and schedule, is astounding,” Full of life’s lawyer argued on September 12, 2025. ”Discovery has been ongoing for greater than six months, and [Swift] is somebody whose calendar ought to be presumed to be filled with skilled obligations for months prematurely. At any level over the previous six months, [Baldoni’s team] might have seen a deposition, served a subpoena, and negotiated an agreeable time and place for this deposition. However they didn’t.”
Decide Liman dominated on September 13, 2025, that there can be no extension for Swift be deposed as a result of Group Baldoni waited too lengthy to provoke the method.
“The one justification they’ve supplied for the extension is their assertion that Swift’s preexisting skilled obligations now forestall her from showing for a deposition previous to October 20, 2025,” he wrote.
The decide added, “Discovery has been ongoing on this case for roughly six months. They’ve provided no proof that they’ve served a renewed subpoena on Swift… Having didn’t reveal acceptable diligence, the requested extension is denied.”
Baldoni Hires Diddy’s Lawyer
Group Baldoni beefed up its authorized roster on September 15, 2025, by hiring Alexandra Shapiro, who beforehand represented disgraced mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
Baldoni Sued by ‘The New York Occasions’
The New York Occasions Firm formally filed go well with towards Baldoni‘s manufacturing firm, Wayfarer Studios LLC, on October 1, 2025, over the actor’s dismissed defamation lawsuit.
Following Decide Liman’s resolution to throw out Baldoni’s go well with in June 2025, the Occasions sought to recoup at the least $150,000 in “compensatory and punitive damages” related to Baldoni’s authorized motion. The media group accused Baldoni of violating New York’s anti-SLAPP regulation towards lawsuits that search to “inhibit the train of free speech and harass publishers by forcing them to expend time and assets on baseless litigation.”
“It’s now well-established that information protection of issues of public curiosity fall inside the scope of the regulation,” the New York Occasions lawsuit asserted.
Freedman responded to the Occasions’ lawsuit by telling Folks that Baldoni would proceed looking for justice “win, lose or draw.”
“We refuse to cave to energy brokers even within the face of seemingly unimaginable odds,” the lawyer mentioned. “We proceed to face tall for a purpose: the pursuit of reality, within the face of giants.”
‘It Ends With Us Stars’ Deposed
On October 17, 2025, it was reported that It Ends With Us stars Slate and Ferrer and guide writer Colleen Hoover had been all deposed as a part of the invention course of.
Slate and Ferrer reportedly took half in depositions over the summer time, whereas Hoover was lately deposed about her information of the dispute between Full of life and Baldoni.
‘Hidden Messages’ Dispute
Us obtained courtroom paperwork filed by Group Full of life on October 23, 2025, by which they accused Group Baldoni of “hid[ing] the ball at each flip within the discovery course of, both failing to supply paperwork or improperly cloaking them within the attorney-client privilege.”
“Now that the mud has settled, and truth discovery and depositions have closed, two issues are clear,” Full of life’s staff insisted. “There’s substantial proof that the retaliatory marketing campaign was, the truth is, carried out as deliberate.”
Full of life’s attorneys requested the courtroom to sanction Baldoni as a result of his authorized staff “destroyed and/or didn’t protect or produce extra materials and extremely related proof, the absence of which they intend to attempt to unjustly exploit of their favor.”
Group Baldoni didn’t instantly touch upon the movement.
Full of life Claims ‘It Finish With Us’ Producer Did Not Hand Over Video of Spouse Giving Beginning
Based on a letter obtained by Folks on November 3, 2025, Full of life’s attorneys requested decide Decide Lewis J. Liman to “sanction” producer Jamey Heath after he allegedly failed handy over “sure supplies” that he was requested to supply by September 2, 2025, together with “the video Mr. Heath confirmed Ms. Full of life on the set of the Movie of his totally nude spouse through the delivery of their little one throughout an at-home delivery.” Full of life claims the alleged video was proven to her by Heath “with out warning or consent.”
Full of life additional alleged that she has “persistently disputed” that the three-minute video Heath has turned is just not the identical clip she was proven on the It Ends With Us set. Regardless of Heath’s earlier claims that he didn’t have every other movies, Full of life alleged that Heath has been “knowingly and willfully withholding” related data, subsequently failing to offer her the prospect to handle it when he was deposed.
Per the outlet, Full of life requested Decide Liman to “order” Heath to supply all footage associated to the delivery video inside three days. She additionally requested that Heath be prohibited from giving any proof, together with oral or written testimony, associated to him exhibiting the delivery footage.
Us Weekly reached out to Baldoni for remark.
Baldoni Deliberately Misses Submitting Deadline
After Us solely reported in November 2025 that Baldoni didn’t miss a deadline to file an enchantment after a decide dismissed the lawsuit towards Full of life, however slightly that his authorized staff by no means supposed to file within the first place, the director’s lawyer broke his silence relating to the trial.
“The reality relating to this case [is it] constantly and utterly will get distorted within the media. Even one thing so simple as a procedural replace has resulted in complete mischaracterization. At this level, we have now to set the document straight: no deadlines had been missed. Our shoppers selected to not amend their criticism to protect enchantment rights,” Freedman advised The Day by day Mail in a November 2025 assertion.
“Within the meantime, we’re specializing in Ms. Full of life’s claims,” Freedman continued. “We stay totally dedicated to pursuing the reality by means of each authorized and factual avenue obtainable and look ahead to our day in courtroom.”
Us reached out to Full of life’s authorized staff for remark on the time.
Decide Dismisses Claims In opposition to Jed Wallace
A federal decide dismissed Full of life’s claims towards Wallace — a Texas-based social media advisor — on November 5, 2025.
Based on the courtroom, Full of life failed to indicate that Wallace had enough connection to New York to be sued there.
“The courtroom’s resolution right now was solely about the place Jed Wallace may be sued. The courtroom dominated that Ms. Full of life’s claims towards him can and ought to be introduced in a special courtroom,” Full of life’s spokesperson advised Us in a press release. “Ms. Full of life is evaluating her many choices for doing so. This has no affect on her case towards Baldoni, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, Abel, Wayfarer, and The Company Group, who she’s going to see in courtroom in New York on the March trial.”
Baldoni’s lawyer, nevertheless, had a special response to the decide’s ruling.
“We’re grateful for the courtroom’s order right now, making clear that the claims towards Mr. Wallace by no means belonged on this courtroom,” Freedman mentioned in a press release to Us. “Allegations that he participated in any smear marketing campaign are unsupported, and all claims towards him have been dismissed by this courtroom. The opposite defendants look ahead to their day in courtroom when they may present there is no such thing as a advantage to Ms. Full of life’s claims towards them.”
A decide additionally dismissed Wallace’s claims towards Full of life.
“With this resolution, the entire retaliatory lawsuits filed towards Blake Full of life by Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and their disaster communications and digital groups have been dismissed,” a spokesperson for Full of life advised Us in a press release. “Ms. Full of life may have her day in courtroom on her claims on the March trial in New York.”
Full of life Seeks Damages and Names Potential Witnesses
Us obtained new courtroom paperwork filed by Group Full of life in July 2025 and unsealed that November. In these disclosure kinds, Full of life claimed she suffered at the least $161 million in damages from Baldoni’s alleged sexual harassment and “smear marketing campaign.” (Baldoni has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing on the set of It Ends With Us and insisted he was not concerned in any smear marketing campaign.)
Full of life’s staff specified that her losses amounted to $56.2 million for previous and future earnings from her performing profession, talking engagements and endorsements, plus $49 million in potential losses from her magnificence model, Blake Brown, and $22 million from her beverage model, Betty Buzz/Betty Booze. The paperwork specified a number of different related prices that Full of life is looking for from Baldoni, together with $34 million in reputational harm.
Group Full of life’s newest submitting hinted at some stars who could also be known as to testify on the March 2026 trial. Her attorneys urged that Reynolds, Swift, Emily Blunt, Scooter Braun, Hugh Jackman and Gigi Hadid, amongst many others, are “prone to have discoverable data” concerning the It Ends With Us office dispute.
Full of life and Baldoni Battle Over Movement for Abstract Judgment
In November 2025, Baldoni’s authorized staff filed a movement for abstract judgment, or requested the courtroom to determine a declare with no trial.
On the time, the actor’s authorized staff claimed Full of life’s allegations had been a “litany of minor grievances” that fall wanting the requisite stage of being “extreme or pervasive sufficient to create an objectively hostile or abusive work setting.”
One month later, Full of life’s attorneys responded to Baldoni’s movement and argued that the actress deserves her day in courtroom.
“Of their newest effort to keep away from accountability for the hostile setting they created through the manufacturing and advertising and marketing of It Ends With Us, Justin Baldoni [and other defendants] ask this courtroom to protect them from trial and deny Blake Full of life her day in courtroom, by throwing the kitchen sink at Full of life’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims,” Full of life’s staff claimed in courtroom paperwork obtained by Us in December 2025. “The document proof is obvious: Full of life’s claims survive abstract judgment and have to be despatched to a jury.”
Full of life and Baldoni’s Trial Postponed
In December 2025, it was introduced that Full of life and Baldoni’s trial can be postponed till Might 18, 2026. Liman shared throughout a post-discovery listening to that he was additionally the decide on two felony trials and “as necessary as this case is … felony trials take precedent.”
Decide Recommends Full of life and Baldoni Settle
The identical day information broke of the trial being postponed, Liman urged that the It Ends With Us costars settle exterior of courtroom and directed them to contact a Justice of the Peace decide to debate a settlement.
Full of life and Baldoni’s Authorized Groups Replicate on 1 Yr of ‘It Ends With Us’ Drama
In December 2025, Full of life’s attorneys mirrored on the previous 12 months of their case towards Baldoni.
“One yr in the past, Blake Full of life filed a criticism with the California Civil Rights Division to proceed to face up for a secure office after the experiences she and others had on the movie It Ends With Us,” Full of life’s attorneys Hudson and Gottlieb mentioned in a press release to Us on December 22, 2025. “Over the previous yr, Blake has persevered towards a billionaire-financed effort to attempt to ‘bury’ her, her household and companies by means of retaliatory lawsuits and a relentless media and digital marketing campaign. With their retaliatory lawsuits dismissed and solely her claims set for trial in Might, Ms. Full of life is extra decided than ever to shine a light-weight on the forces that work behind the scenes to silence and discredit girls who dare converse up.”
As for Baldoni’s authorized staff, they shared a message of gratitude for individuals who hope “reality” will win.
“My shoppers are deeply grateful for the help and type phrases they’ve acquired over the previous yr,” Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman mentioned in a press release to Us. “We belief that the reality will in the end prevail, and the care that so many have proven has been a significant supply of power throughout an extremely difficult time.”
The assertion continued, “On the identical time, we acknowledge that there are lots of different points affecting the world that deserve even larger consideration and compassion, significantly presently of yr. We hope the main focus stays on supporting those that want it most and that we proceed to look out for each other this vacation season.”




