Blake Lively is “ready to tackle” Justin Baldoni's counter lawsuit, according to reports
It was announced in December 2023 that Blake Lively was taking legal action against It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni.
The 37-year-old actress has sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and for allegedly coordinating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni has denied the allegations.
News of Lively's legal action comes after months of controversy around the Colleen Hoover adaptation, with reports of a rift between the two creative leads and a wave of negative attention surrounding Lively.
After news of her lawsuit went public, the actress released a statement to The Times, explaining that she hopes her "legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct." And that she hopes her actions will help "protect others who may be targeted.”
Baldoni's representatives responded at the time, calling the accusations "categorically false", and the legal complaint "yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film."
This week, Baldoni took legal action of his own, reportedly launching a $250 million libel case against The New York Times for its coverage of Lively's legal complaint. And according to reports, Baldoni is also planning to file an "explosive counter lawsuit" in response to Lively's legal action this year.
Blake Lively has not publicly addressed Baldoni's lawsuit, but an insider did comment on the situation this week - explaining to People that she "knows she’ll have an explosive start to the new year."
"She still believes she’s doing the right thing. She’s ready to tackle whatever comes her way," the source continued, adding that Lively feels "very fortunate to be surrounded by the most loving family and supportive friends."
We will continue to update this story.
