The legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni continues to unfold as of mid-2025, involving allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation from Lively against Baldoni, who acted as her co-star and director on the film It Ends With Us. Baldoni responded with a countersuit for $400 million, which was ultimately dismissed by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman in June 2025. The controversy has drawn high-profile attention, with notable figures such as Matt Damon extending support to Lively.
Revealed Text Messages Show Hollywood Allies Rallying Behind Lively
New court documents, including unsealed text messages exchanged between Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and actor Matt Damon with his wife Lucy, provide insight into the intensity of the conflict. In May 2024, Ryan Reynolds reportedly sent a message to Matt and Lucy describing Justin Baldoni in harsh terms, stating,
“A malignantly vein [sic], sociopathic FAUXminist with almost no sense of boundaries or shame. I cannot believe he hasn’t gone to jail.”
Blake Lively also expressed her frustrations about Baldoni in these communications. According to the texts, she criticized Baldoni’s multiple roles on the project—director, co-star, producer, financier, and studio head—claiming he lacked experience but had an inflated ego. She wrote,
“This movie nearly killed me. The director/costar/producer/financer/head of the studio (yes all one person) had zero experience, but the good news is he also has no taste, and an enormous ego, but only because he’s in a cult and believes he’s our century’s prophet. I wish even one of these things was hyperbole.”
Pop Star Taylor Swift’s Messages Add Fuel to the Controversy
Further intensifying the dispute, text messages sent by Taylor Swift to Blake Lively in December 2024 were released publicly as part of Lively’s unsealed deposition in January 2026. Swift referred to Justin Baldoni using a derogatory term and suggested that he was aware of impending consequences. One message reads,
“I think this b***h knows something is coming becuase he’s gotten out his tiny violin,”
while another highlights strategy, stating,
“If Justin was strategic, he would be like no Taylor Swift in the trailer becuase that gives you more power over the film, that’s your ally not his.”
Significance and Potential Implications of the Ongoing Legal Battle
This high-profile legal battle involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has garnered considerable attention due to the serious nature of the allegations and the star-studded responses. The involvement of Matt Damon, who supports Blake Lively amid the controversy, underlines the weight of Lively’s claims and the tension surrounding the film’s release. With the dismissal of Baldoni’s countersuit, the court appears to be siding against his extensive financial claim. How this conflict will affect the reception and distribution of It Ends With Us remains to be seen, but the public and legal scrutiny signals ongoing challenges for everyone involved.
