It Ends With Us’—Or Does It? Blake Lively Beats Harassment Lawsuit, But Legal Drama Continues

A Manhattan federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit against one of Hollywood’s most
glamorous couples. Judge Lewis J. Liman Monday granted a motion by Ryan Reynolds
and Blake Lively to dismiss the suit filed by actor Juston Baldoni.

Baldoni filed a $400 million dollar lawsuit, accusing the couple of trying to ruin his
reputation with Lively’s claims of sexual harassment on the set of the film, “It Ends With
Us.” Lively co-starred in the 2024 film with Baldoni, who also directed the feature.
Baldoni also sued the New York Times, claiming he was defamed by an article
published in December 2024 about Lively’s accusation. The judge also threw out the
case against the Times.

While he ruled in favor of the couple, Judge Liman denied their motion to recover
attorney’s fees incurred in defending the lawsuit. The couple claimed Baldoni’s suit
violated New York’s anti-SLAPP law. SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public
Participation. These are lawsuits aiming to silence or intimidate critics, rather than to
pursue genuine legal claims. These suits often go after individuals or groups who speak
out on matters of public interest or are involved in political activity.
The Times report in December of last year detailed a legal filing to the California Civil
Rights Department. Lively accused Baldoni and Jamey Heath, the lead producer, of
harassment on the set. Lively’s complaint, also named Wayfarer Studios, owned by
Baldoni and Heath. In it, she claimed the studio and its owners had targeted her with a
retaliatory smear campaign aimed at keeping her accusations from going public.

“It Ends With Us” is an adaptation of a 2016 bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover. It
details a couple’s relationship evolving from a romance to a union beset with domestic
violence.

Lively is counter suing Baldoni. That suit is making its way through the courts.