Actor and director Justin Baldoni has filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit against his “It Ends With Us” co-star Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, escalating a contentious legal battle surrounding the film. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in New York, also names publicist Leslie Sloane and alleges defamation, lost future income, and reputational damage.
The legal action comes two weeks after Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and others involved in the film, accusing them of harassment and orchestrating a coordinated effort to harm her reputation after she spoke out about her treatment on set. Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios claim in their lawsuit that Lively’s allegations forced them to respond publicly and legally.
“Lively has unequivocally left them with no choice, not only to set the record straight in response to her accusations, but also to highlight the parts of Hollywood they’ve worked to oppose throughout their careers,” the lawsuit states.
On the same day that Lively’s lawsuit was filed, Baldoni also initiated a libel lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging the publication collaborated with Lively to defame him.
Requests for comment from Sloane, whose PR firm represents Lively and Reynolds, were not immediately returned.
Both Baldoni and Lively are represented by WME, the talent agency that dropped Baldoni as a client following Lively’s earlier legal actions. Those actions included a formal complaint that preceded The New York Times publishing a story detailing disputes around the film’s production.
“It Ends With Us,” based on Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, has sparked widespread conversations in Hollywood, with particular focus on the treatment of female actors on set and in media portrayals.
