Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds allegedly insisted Justin Baldoni take the blame after "troubled production" rumors started for It Ends With Us

Justin Baldoni has claimed that his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds insisted the director take the blame after the negative press started building up about the film's production in August 2024.

Baldoni shared details about the interaction and more on a website created by the actor on Saturday, February 1. It contains alleged chats, emails, and other interactions, involving Baldoni, Lively, intimacy coordinators, and producers, reportedly aimed at disproving Lively's claims that she was s*xually harassed on set during the film's production.

According to Justin Baldoni, Reynolds and Lively wrote a draft statement on behalf of Wayfarer Studios, threatening that the "gloves will come off" if it wasn't released.

"IT ENDS WITH US was a troubled production which we take full accountability for. We are very sorry to everyone we caused upset to privately and publicly. Blake Lively, Colleen Hoover, the entire cast and crew led with professionalism every step of the way, any negativity aimed at them is ours to own," the purported draft statement said.

The alleged draft continued, explaining why the cast was separately promoting the film.

"We mutually agreed that the cast would be promoting the film separately and understood why. We have always said we are not perfect and even if unintentionally make mistakes, we will always own them. We hold ourselves accountable... We are learning and growing from the experience," it read.

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Justin Baldoni's attorney claims his clients are "devastated financially and emotionally" during pretrial hearing against Blake Lively

Justin Baldoni in "The Boys In The Boat" New York Screening - Source: Getty (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Justin Baldoni's legal battle with Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, is allegedly draining the 41-year-old's pockets, according to his lawyer, Bryan Freedman.

On December 20, 2024, Lively filed a legal complaint with the California City Rights Department against Justin Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios. The 37-year-old accused Baldoni of s*xual harassment and claimed that he was running a social media campaign to ruin her reputation.

According to the Economic Times, on January 16, 2025, Baldon's legal team filed a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloan, accusing them of "civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy."

During a pretrial hearing on Monday, February 3, Freedman claimed his “clients are devastated financially and emotionally.” In addition to Baldoni, the American attorney also represented It Ends With Us producers Steve Sarowitz, and Jamey Heath, and publicists Jennifer Abel and Melissa Nathan.

Lively's attorney, Michael Gottlieb, meanwhile, used a similar narrative. According to CNN, he claimed that Justin Baldoni's alleged "retaliation campaign" has taken a toll on the Green Lantern alum.

The pretrial hearing on Monday marked the first hearing of the case and was presided over by Judge Lewis J. Liman. The Judge cautioned both parties during the hearing, claiming that if they persist in getting their complaints "litigated in the press," he would prepone the trial date. At present, the trial date is set for March 9, 2026.

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As per both attorneys, the proceedings of the pretrial on Monday yielded positive outcomes. Baldoni's legal team told the US Magazine:

“Our clients are devastated and want to move the case along as quickly as possible. We just couldn’t be more pleased with how the case was handled today, how it was managed. We’re going to move as quickly as we possibly can and prove our innocence, in a world where sometimes people judge you before they give you a chance. And we’re going to change that.”

Meanwhile, representatives from Lively's legal team were allegedly "pleased" with the pretrial.

"This case deals with serious allegations of s*xual harassment and retaliation. We will hold the defendants accountable, and we are confident that once all the evidence is submitted in this matter, Ms. Lively will prevail," they claimed.

Lively's legal rep also revealed that the jury granted their request and demanded that all attorneys refrain from making statements that might prejudice the jury.