Los Angeles: Actor Blake Lively has reportedly claimed that she suffered financial losses worth nearly $161 million due to what she describes as a smear campaign launched against her by It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni, according to a report by Variety.
This revelation comes shortly after Baldoni’s $400 million extortion and defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds was officially dismissed by a U.S. court, after the actor-director failed to meet a court-imposed deadline to amend his claims.
The Legal Battle So Far
Justin Baldoni initially filed the $400 million lawsuit in January 2025, accusing Blake and Ryan of conspiring to damage his reputation amid ongoing sexual harassment allegations. He described his filing as a “counterattack” in what has become one of Hollywood’s most closely watched legal showdowns.
The case stemmed from an earlier lawsuit filed by Blake in December 2024, in which she accused Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of sexual harassment and workplace retaliation during the filming of It Ends With Us.
Blake’s Claimed Losses and Damages
According to the Variety report, Lively’s attorneys initially stated that her damages exceeded $75,000, but in a disclosure made public in July, they claimed the actual figure had skyrocketed to at least $161 million in real damages.
The court documents further revealed that her legal team plans to seek at least three times that amount in punitive damages, underscoring the scale of harm allegedly caused by Baldoni’s actions and the negative press surrounding the dispute.
High-Profile Witness List
As the case moves toward trial in March 2026, Blake reportedly intends to call several high-profile friends and industry figures to testify in her support.
The potential witness list includes:
- Taylor Swift
- Emily Blunt
- Scooter Braun
- Hugh Jackman
- Gigi Hadid
- Ari Emanuel (CEO, Endeavor)
- Tony Vinciquerra (Chairman, Sony Pictures)
- Tom Rothman (Chairman, Sony Motion Pictures Group)
Their involvement could offer significant insights into the entertainment industry’s response to the controversy and Blake’s standing within Hollywood.
Background on It Ends With Us
The legal dispute arose during and after the production of It Ends With Us, a highly anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. The film, directed by Baldoni and starring Lively, was once positioned as one of the most anticipated romantic dramas of the decade but has since been overshadowed by the off-screen legal drama.
In Summary
While Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit has been dismissed, the conflict between the two stars is far from over. With Blake Lively now seeking damages worth hundreds of millions and preparing for a high-profile trial, the It Ends With Us controversy continues to unfold as one of Hollywood’s most explosive legal sagas in recent years.