Justin Baldoni has launched a website amid a legal dispute concerning allegations related to the filming of the movie "It Ends With Us," in which he starred alongside Blake Lively. On the website, Baldoni has shared his revised complaint and a detailed timeline of events pertinent to the case.
The two actors featured as a couple in the successful film released last year, but are presently entangled in an acrimonious legal battle. Lively, aged 37, filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, aged 41, in December, accusing him of sexual harassment and conducting a smear campaign. In response, Baldoni has countersued Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
Moreover, Baldoni has also filed a libel lawsuit against the New York Times. Both parties vehemently deny the allegations. A trial date has been scheduled to address the disputes between the celebrities.
The website includes legal documentation related to the case: Baldoni's recent court submissions against Lively and Reynolds as well as a 168-page document named "Timeline of Relevant Events," detailing the disagreements and the film's production, including purported text message exchanges between Baldoni and Lively.
Baldoni amended his lawsuit, claiming Lively provided the New York Times with pre-publication access to her civil rights complaint. His attorney, Bryan Freedman, mentioned to BBC News that the amendment was prompted by substantial new evidence that has come to light, supporting their assertions of collusion and dishonesty by Lively and her team.
In response, a spokesperson for the New York Times contested Baldoni's claims, refuting inaccuracies in his legal filings, including the assertion that the newspaper had early access to Lively's complaint. Lively's representatives have been contacted by BBC News for their comments.
Lively, however, maintained that footage showing her and Baldoni filming a slow dance supports her allegations. "It Ends With Us," based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, was a TikTok sensation following its release last summer. The film depicts Lively as a woman trapped in a relationship with a charismatic but abusive partner played by Baldoni, drawing inspiration from Hoover's personal experience with her mother's history of domestic abuse.