Actor and director Justin Baldoni has countered accusations from his co-star in the film "It Ends With Us," Blake Lively, by initiating legal action against her and her husband Ryan Reynolds. Baldoni is seeking $400 million (£326 million) in compensation for civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist, also included in the lawsuit, have not yet responded to Baldoni's legal challenge. In the ongoing legal feud, Baldoni's legal representatives have claimed that Lively and her associates engaged in a "deceitful attempt to damage" his reputation.
Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's attorney, stated that Lively's team had circulated "highly edited, unfounded, and altered information to the media," with the intention of tarnishing reputations for selfish motives.
The conflict originated during the filming of "It Ends With Us," which is based on a novel about domestic abuse by Colleen Hoover. Despite the movie's commercial success, tensions were evident between the co-stars. Lively accused Baldoni and his studio executive of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment, leading to a legal confrontation four months after the film's release.
Baldoni's legal team previously refuted these allegations as baseless and clarified they hired a crisis manager due to threats made by Lively to disrupt the film if her demands were not met. In his extensive 179-page lawsuit, Baldoni asserts his innocence and emphasizes that the legal battle transcends petty celebrity disputes.
"When the trial commences, the jury will understand that not even the most influential celebrity can manipulate the truth to suit their narrative," the document concludes.