The book to movie adaptation It Ends With Us has been the subject of much controversy since its release. While originally Blake Lively went viral for her behavior during press junkets, she and co-star/director Justin Baldoni are in the midst of a legal battle. And after Baldoni made some big claims about her husband Ryan Reynolds, their agency, and the It Ends With Us premiere, Lively’s lawyers and WME speak out.
The public is invested in Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' relationship, which is why the Deadpool actor's involvement in the It Ends With Us drama has turned so many heads. Lively's lawsuit against Wayfarer Studios included allegations about the film's director, prompting Baldoni to sue the New York Times over its reporting of their feud. He claimed that Reynolds pressured talent agency WME to drop him as a client (which did occur after the NY Times story was released), and that the couple tried to get him banned from the It Ends With Us premiere. And the allegations about the Deadpool star has inspired some responses from those involved. Let's break it all down.
What Blake Lively's lawyers have said about Baldoni's lawsuit.
Justin Baldoni's lawsuit made a number of allegations, including some about Ryan Reynolds' involvement in his reported feud with Blake Lively. He claims that the 48 year-old actor/producer tried to keep Baldoni away from the premiere of It Ends With Us (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription), in addition to having a confrontation with the director about body shaming her, as well as the claim he encouraged WME to drop him. Lively's lawyers have responded to Baldoni's suit (via Us Magazine), with a statement reading:
Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims advanced in Ms. Lively’s California Civil Rights Department Complaint, nor her federal complaint, filed earlier today. This lawsuit is based on the obviously false premise that Ms. Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ruse based on a choice ‘not to file a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer,’ and that ‘litigation was never her ultimate goal.’ As demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively earlier today, that frame of reference for the Wayfarer lawsuit is false. While we will not litigate this matter in the press, we do encourage people to read Ms. Lively’s complaint in its entirety. We look forward to addressing each and every one of Wayfarer’s allegations in court.
There you have it. Sounds like Lively's legal team isn't too concerned about these new allegations, as they feel their case against Wayfarer (and by proxy Baldoni), speaks for itself. And while they seemingly aren't going to be speaking to the press much, they encourage fans to read her entire lawsuit before weighing in Baldoni's latest allegations.
WME responds to claims about Ryan Reynolds.
The legal situation surrounding It Ends With Us continues to involve more people outside of Lively and Baldoni. Recently Baldoni's ex-publicist filed her own suit, and the inclusion of allegations made against Ryan Reynolds is another notable wrinkle in the situation. The chatter has gotten loud enough that WME issued its own statement (via The Wrap), poking holes against the story that Baldoni painted in his lawsuit against the NY Times. Said statement addressed the Reynolds of it all, reading:
In Baldoni’s filing there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ premiere. This is not true. Baldoni’s former representative was not at the ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ premiere nor was there any pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client.
There you have it. The agency certainly didn't mince words, and they seemingly aren't pleased about being named in Baldoni's lawsuit. What's more, it's refuting the claim that Reynolds pushed them to drop the actor/director at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. Only time will tell how things ultimately shake out if/when this brouhaha goes to court.
Clearly the stakes are high, and both fans and folks within the industry are weighing in. A number of celebrities came to Lively's defense, but the court of public opinion isn't the same as the actual legal system. We'll have to see what happens, but the odds of an It Ends With Us sequel seems unlikely now.
It Ends With Us is streaming now on Netflix. Check out the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the movies this year.
