A Complete Timeline of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's Feud (Including the Latest in their Legal Battle)

Mar. 15, 2025

Blake Lively at the 13th Annual LACMA Art + Film Gala on November 2, 2024 in Los Angeles ;  Justin Baldoni attends Variety Faith And Spirituality In Entertainment Honors on December 04, 2024 in Los Angeles.Photo:Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock ; Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty

Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock ; Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty

Blake LivelyandJustin Baldoni’s legal drama may have only come to light in December 2024, but the two have had tensions brewing sincethe early days of making their first movie together.

The actors collaborated on the 2024 summer blockbusterIt Ends With Us, starring alongside each other as the two leads. Baldoni also served as the executive producer and director.

However, months after rumors of a rift surfaced around the film’s premiere, Livelyfiled a complaint against Baldoni,producerJamey Heath, Heath and Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, as well as its co-founder Steve Sarowitz, claiming sexual harassment and an alleged retaliatory public smear campaign to “destroy” her reputation.

She also named Jeb Wallace, an independent contractor, and Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, publicists accused of harming Lively’s reputation. While Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, denied the accusations to PEOPLE,The New York Timesran an investigative story looking into Lively’s claims.

Lively’s legal team called the filing “another chapter in the abuser playbook.” Now, the two are preparing to take their issues to court, with atrial date setfor March 9, 2026.

From the first filing to the latest updates, here’s a complete timeline of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal drama.

January 26, 2023: Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are announced as the leads inIt Ends With Us

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in ‘It Ends With Us’.Sony Pictures Entertainment (2)

Sony Pictures Entertainment (2)

Baldoni and Lively were announced as the co-leads of the adaptation ofColleen Hoover’s best-selling novel of the same name.

Baldoni reposted the video on hisInstagram, writing, “Here we go!!!!”

May 2023 - Early 2024: Filming forIt Ends With Ustakes place

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are seen filming “It Ends With Us” on May 25, 2023 in Hoboken, New Jersey.Gotham/GC Images

Gotham/GC Images

The movie kicked off filming on May 5, 2023, with photographerscapturing Lively in costumein Hoboken, N.J.

However, production was paused a month later due to the ongoing writer’s strike. Itpicked back up in early 2024when the release date was pushed from February to August that year.

August 6, 2024: Just Baldoni walks theIt Ends With Uspremiere red carpet separately from the rest of the cast

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni attend the “It Ends With Us” New York Premiere.Gotham/WireImage (2)

Gotham/WireImage (2)

Rumors of a feud between Baldoni and his costars began when the director was notably missing during the press tour, opting to take interviews separately from his cast.

The rumors came to a head during the movie’s New York premiere on Aug. 6 when Livelyposed alongside all of her main costars, includingBrandon SklenarandJenny Slate. Baldoni, meanwhile, walked the red carpet withhis wife Emilyand his family and didn’t pose with the rest of the cast.

He also didn’t introduce the film ahead of the screening, opting instead to allow Lively and Hoover to take the reins despite being the director.

“All is not what it seems,” a set source told PEOPLE at the time. “There is much more to this story.”

August 9, 2024:It Ends With Uspremieres to a massive box office debut

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in ‘It Ends With Us.'.Nicole Rivelli

Nicole Rivelli

It Ends With Uswasmet with massive successat the box office, earning $50 million when it opened at the domestic box office.

By its third weekend, the movie had become Lively’shighest-grossing project yet, with over $242 million earned worldwide, according toDeadline.

August 13, 2024: Justin Baldoni hires a crisis PR representative

Days after the film’s premiere, Baldonihired crisis public relations managerMelissa Nathan of The Agency Group, who previously worked withJohnny Depp.

December 20, 2024: Blake Lively files a complaint against Justin Baldoni

Justin Baldoni at the “It Ends With Us” premiere on August 06, 2024 in New York City ; Blake Lively attending the UK gala screening for It Ends with Us on Aug. 8 in London.James Devaney/GC Images; Ian West/PA Images via Getty

James Devaney/GC Images; Ian West/PA Images via Getty

After months of speculation of a rift between the cast, Lively filed a bombshell Dec. 20 complaint in which she accused Baldoni ofexhibiting “disturbing" and “unprofessional” behavior on setthat led to a “hostile work environment.”

She further alleged that Baldoni and his producing partner Heath’s behavior and the alleged smear campaign after filmingcaused her “grief, fear, trauma, and extreme anxiety,“per the filing.

Alongside allegations of entering her trailer uninvited while she was breastfeeding her child and making inappropriate statements regarding sex and porn on set, Lively accused Baldoni and his PR team — including Abel and Nathan — of planting stories in the media to tarnish her reputation.

Freedman strongly denied the allegations on behalf of Baldoni and said in a statement that representatives of Wayfarer Studios “did nothing proactive nor retaliated, and only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity.”

The New York Timespublished an investigative story on the situation, detailing Lively’s allegations in her complaint on Dec. 21. The same day, Baldoni’s talent agency, William Morris Endeavor,dropped him as a client, withDeadlinereporting that it was in part due to the complaint. Lively is also one of WME’s clients.

In his lawsuit againstThe New York Times, Baldoni alleged that Reynolds demanded that his WME agent drop him at theDeadpool & Wolverinepremiere. The agencydenied the allegationsshortly after.

December 31, 2024: Justin Baldoni files a lawsuit againstThe New York Times

Justin Baldoni at ‘The Boys In The Boat’ Special Screening in December 2023 in New York; Blake Lively attends the 2022 Met Gala on May 02, 2022 in New York City.Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Baldoni suedThe New York Timeson Dec. 31 for $250 million, claiming that the outlet used “‘cherry-picked’ and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead,” per the lawsuit.

Baldoni also refuted some of the claims made in Lively’s lawsuits, alleging that he was “invited” into her trailer. He included a screenshot of his alleged conversation with her in which she said, “I’m just pumping in my trailer if you wanna work out our lines.” He responded, “Copy. Eating with crew and will head that way.”

TheJane the Virginactor also alleged that while Lively accused his PR team of planting stories about her, he felt she did so about him, claiming that her publicist, Sloane, “[planted] a false story alleging that there were ‘multiple’ HR complaints during production.”

“It’s clear that Mr. Baldoni and his Wayfarer Associates are suggesting that I originated press stories about HR complaints on set,which is false,” Sloane told PEOPLE in a statement following the lawsuit.

December 31, 2024: Blake Lively files a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni

The same day, Lively officially filed a lawsuit in New York City against Baldoni, among others, after previously filing the Dec. 20 complaint in California.

January 16, 2025: Justin Baldoni sues Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and more, alleging defamation

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at the 2022 Met Gala ; Justin Baldoni attends Variety Faith And Spirituality In Entertainment Honors on Dec. 4, 2024 in Los Angeles.Theo Wargo/WireImage; Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty

Theo Wargo/WireImage; Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty

In the third lawsuit to be filed in the legal saga, Baldoni directly sued Lively, as well as Reynolds, Sloane and her PR company.

In his complaint, Baldoni accusedLively of never having read the bookupon which the movie is based and therefore making “wrongheaded creative decisions” that “reflected her fundamental lack of understanding of the book.” Baldoni’s complaint claims Lively began “asserting” control over the film, “inserting herself into the production process in intrusive ways.”

He added that at one point, she joked that Baldoni “should get plastic surgery” on his nose while filming a scene for the movie.

Baldoni wasn’t the only plaintiff in the lawsuit, which included his team, Abel and Nathan. The two publicists alleged in a statement to PEOPLE that they’re “private individuals” who have nowreceived death threats due to Lively’s complaint.

January 21, 2025: Justin Baldoni’s team releases footage from theIt Ends With Usset that they argued contradicts Blake Lively’s claims

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are seen on the set of “It Ends with Us” on January 12, 2024 in Jersey City, New Jersey.Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Baldoni’s teamreleased video footageto outlets includingTMZshowcasing a behind-the-scenes moment on the set ofIt Ends With Us. In the clip, Lively is filming a scene with Baldoni in which the two are slow dancing for a montage.

In her lawsuit, Lively alleged that it was during this scene — which she said had no dialogue — that Baldoni “leaned forward and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he said, ‘it smells so good’… When Ms. Lively later objected to this behavior, Mr. Baldoni’s response was, ‘I’m not even attracted to you.’ ”

However, in audio captured during the scene, the two can be heard talking and joking out of character while they dance. Lively can be heard telling him, “I’m probably getting spray tan on you.” Laughing, Baldoni replies, “It smells good.”

In response, Lively’s lawyers said in a statement to PEOPLE that the video showed Baldoni “attempting to kiss her” and shows Lively “leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to just talk.” They added, “every frame of the released footage corroborates, to the letter,” what Lively included in her lawsuit about that scene.

January 27, 2025: A trial date is set for March 2026 the same day as audio of Justin Baldoni allegedly apologizing is leaked

Judge Lewis J. Liman outlined in an order filed on Jan. 27 that both cases have now been consolidated asLively v. Baldoni et al.and is nowscheduled for trialon March 9, 2026. In the meantime, a pre-trial hearing was set to hash outLively’s prospective request for a gag order.

The same day,a voice notethat Baldoni allegedly sent to Lively was leaked of the actor apologizing for his response to Lively’s tweaks to the scripts.

“I’m really sorry. I for sure fell short and you worked really hard on that,” he is heard saying. PEOPLE cannot verify when the message was recorded.

February 1, 2025: Justin Baldoni launches a website where he plans to share evidence

Justin Baldoni on August 8, 2024 on NBC’s TODAY.Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

A month after Baldoni’s lawyer promised tolaunch a websitewith evidence of his client’s accusations against Lively, Baldoni did just that on Feb. 1.

The website, which is simply titled “Lawsuit Info,” contains a link to a PDF of Baldoni’s amended complaint and a link to a “timeline of relevant events” which leads to a PDF detailing allegations of everything that led up to Lively’s casting and all that has taken place since, including screenshots of alleged conversations between the two.

February 3, 2025: A judge warns Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s lawyers to rein in the PR war at the pre-trial meeting

During Lively and Baldoni’s pre-trial, Judge Liman warned the actors’ teams to not litigate their legal battle in the press, threatening to expedite the trial if they did so.

February 4, 2025: Justin Baldoni reveals notes from an intimacy coordinator meeting that Blake Lively allegedly skipped

As part of an exhibit in Baldoni’s amended complaint from Jan. 31, the actor included a photo of two pages of his notes allegedly from ameeting with an intimacy coordinatorthat he previously alleged Lively skipped.

Per the complaint, Baldoni met with the intimacy coordinator in April 2023 to “discuss how to shoot the sex scenes.” He also provided screenshots of an alleged text conversation with Lively in which he told her he could set up a time for her to meet with the coordinator but she responded, “I feel good. I can meet her when we start :) thank you though!”

The same day, a source close to Lively told PEOPLE that theGossip Girlalum was calm amid the lawsuit drama and was focusing on her family.

“Blake is surprisingly calmand just tries to focus on family life,” the source said.

“She’s in constant contact with her team. She sees the whole lawsuit drama as a necessary bump, but she’s not letting it take away from her main focus, which is her children,” they added.

February 19, 2025: Blake Lively files an amended complaint against Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively attends the SNL50: The Anniversary Special at 30 Rockefeller Center on February 16, 2025 in New York City.TheStewartofNY/WireImage

TheStewartofNY/WireImage

Inan amended version of her complaint, Lively’s lawyers alleged that it “provides significant additional evidence and corroboration of her original claims” and “includes previously undisclosed communications” involving Lively, Sony, Wayfarer Studios and “numerous other witnesses.”

A spokesperson for Lively added that the new filing “details the corroboration that backs up Blake’s original sexual harassment and retaliation concerns.” The spokesperson claimed it shows that “other women confided in Blake about their discomfort and fear of coming forward, and their concern about the current public vitriol.”

“Since documents do not lie and people do, the upcoming depositions of those who initially supported Ms. Lively’s false claims and those who are witnesses to her own behavior will be enlightening,” he continued. “What is truly uncomfortable here is Ms. Lively’s lack of actual evidence.”

source: people.com