Actor and director Justin Baldoni has retaliated against Blake Lively, his co-star from the film "It Ends With Us," by filing a $400 million lawsuit against her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, citing civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
The legal battle escalated as Baldoni accuses Lively and her team of attempting to tarnish his reputation by spreading manipulated and unfounded information to the media, with claims of malicious intent for personal gain.
The conflict originated during the production of "It Ends With Us," a film adaptation of a novel addressing domestic abuse, which saw success at the box office, grossing over $350 million worldwide.
The tension between the co-stars became evident during promotional events, as they were not seen together on the red carpet, with Baldoni even missing an event in London.
The feud intensified when Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and intentional efforts to damage her public image. In response, Baldoni's legal team vehemently denied the accusations, stating that they hired crisis management due to Lively's threats to disrupt the film unless her demands were met.
Baldoni's present stance, documented in a 179-page complaint, asserts his innocence and characterizes the legal dispute as more than just a celebrity feud, emphasizing a pursuit of truth and justice through the judicial process.