Newly unsealed documents in the legal battle between “It Ends With Us” co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni pull back the curtain on a monthslong courtroom clash that riveted the entertainment industry.
The documents, entered into the public record shortly after Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement deal, provide a window into the inner workings of the case, the slate of potential witnesses, and a cache of prospective evidence.
Baldoni’s representatives said Tuesday they had no additional comment on the unsealed files. Lively’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The settlement heads off a trial that would have revolved around Lively’s allegation that Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, orchestrated a retaliatory smear campaign after she spoke out about sexual harassment she claimed she experienced on the set of “It Ends With Us,” which Baldoni also directed. She said the smear campaign harmed her career prospects. Baldoni has vehemently denied Lively’s allegations.
Here’s what you need to know.
The depositions
The packets of PDFs unsealed Monday include transcripts of depositions taken in the lead-up to a potential trial. The roster of potential expert witnesses included people Lively’s lawyers believed could illustrate the impact of Baldoni’s alleged smear campaign, including USC marketing professor Dina Mayzlin and Hollywood lawyer Richard Marks.
Lively’s lawyers also took depositions from veterans of the film industry, including Vivian Baker, a makeup artist who has long worked with Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, and received a credit on “It Ends With Us.”
Ryan Reynolds is sharing praise for his wife Blake Lively amid her legal battle with Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.
The author
The cache of documents features a 19-page transcript of a deposition from Colleen Hoover, the bestselling author of “It Ends With Us.” The story follows flower shop owner Lily Bloom (played in the film adaptation by Lively) and her romantic relationship with abusive neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni).
Hoover told Lively’s lawyers that she did not believe she had significant creative “input” during the production of the movie, even though she was credited as an executive producer. “I didn’t feel like I — I could give input because I was just unaware what was happening,” Hoover said in part, according to the deposition transcript.
Representatives for Hoover did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The brand deals
The files contain dozens of pages detailing Lively’s income from partnerships with various luxury brands and companies, including roughly $7.5 million for appearances in advertisements for the cosmetic giant L’Oreal.
The documents also show that Lively was contractually set to receive roughly $360,000 for wearing Charlotte Tilbury makeup at the 2022 Met Gala; around $200,000 from Tiffany; and some $250,000 for her participation in a 2024 event backed by Meta’s Facebook.
The deal memos are heavily redacted, making it difficult to discern precisely what promotional services Lively was contracted to perform, but most include her compensation.
The career fallout
In pre-trial court filings, Lively’s lawyers claimed her professional prospects were harmed by Baldoni’s alleged smear campaign, with the fallout extending from her Hollywood acting career to the commercial performance of her skin care line, Blake Brown.
At least one of the documents puts forward an approximate dollar figure for a slice of Lively’s career. The retail giant Target expected that Blake Brown sales would hit around $821,000 a week in 2024, but the line’s skin care products significantly underperformed projections, according to a report.
The same report mentions the beauty brand “went dark” on social media between Aug. 14 and Sept. 9, just 10 days after launch, due to negative sentiment about Lively brewing online. Negative comments about her more than doubled around the same time, according to a social media sentiment tracker cited by the report.
The settlement
In a joint statement announcing the settlement Monday, both sides in the case described the movie adaptation of “It Ends With Us” as “a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life.”
“Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind,” lawyers for Baldoni and Lively said in a statement on their behalf.
The statement went on to “acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”
“We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment,” the statement added.
Blake Lively made her surprise return to the Met Gala just hours after it was announced that her legal dispute with Justin Baldoni has been settled.
Jason Abbruzzese, Lauren Wilson and Rebecca Keegan contributed.
