The impact of Blake Lively‘s dueling lawsuits with her former It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni on her relationship with husband Ryan Reynolds is starting to come into focus.
Lively, 37, is in the midst of a brutal legal and PR battle against Baldoni, 41, after suing him in December for allegedly sexually harassing her while making their film, which he has denied.
Baldoni later followed up by launching a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her publicist and her husband Ryan, which all have denied as well.
He also filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times for its reporting on Lively’s allegations.
Now a source says the back-and-forth in court and in the headlines has ‘been tough’ for both Blake and Ryan, according to Us Weekly.
They shared that ‘things are tense at home given the level of scrutiny they’re facing.’
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The impact of Blake Lively’s dueling lawsuits with her former It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni on her relationship with husband Ryan Reynolds is starting to come into focus; pictured February 16 in NYC
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A source says the back-and-forth in court and in the headlines with Baldoni has ‘been tough’ for both Blake and Ryan, according to Us Weekly; Baldoni seen in December in NYC
The actress has said as much in her public court filings.
In an amended version of her lawsuit filed on February 18, the Gossip Girl star said the ’emotional impact’ of the lawsuits had been ‘extreme,’ and she said her husband and their four children (daughters James, 10; Inez, eight; Betty, five; and son Olin, two) had all suffered as a result of the ordeal.
‘It’s been really hard for Blake and Ryan,’ a second source told the publication, adding that couple are attempting to stay ‘positive and support each other.’
‘There are good days and bad days for both of them,’ they added.
A third source insider opined that Blake and Ryan have ‘had their lives turned upside down,’ adding that ‘It’s been hard’ for the two.
The first source made it clear that the Deadpool star is ‘standing by’ his wife.
‘They’re supporting one another,’ they said.
Despite the alleged turmoil created behind the scenes by Baldoni’s lawsuit and online backlash to Lively’s own suit, Lively has been attempting to present a cool and collected public face.
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‘It’s been really hard for Blake and Ryan,’ a second source told the publication, adding that couple are attempting to stay ‘positive and support each other’
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The first source made it clear that the Deadpool star is ‘standing by’ his wife. ‘They’re supporting one another,’ they said; seen February 16 in NYC
During the March 7 premiere of her new sequel Another Simple Favor at the South By Southwest Film Festival, she tried to give her fans a treat by taking a break from the red carpet to chat with adoring fans and autograph seekers cordoned on the other side of a concrete barrier.
But even that simple gesture backfired, as social media influencers who have been heavily posting in favor of Baldoni misconstrued photos from the premiere to falsely claim that Lively had been using the wife of Another Simple Favor director Paul Feig as a fake fan to boost the premiere’s attendance.
It didn’t help with public perceptions when Lively was effusive about her experience shooting the film, while her costar Anna Kendrick was more oblique, though a source told Us Weekly that the differing statements were just an example of the actresses’ contrasting personalities.
They described Kendrick as being a ‘Type[-]A’ personality, while Lively ‘has a more relaxed attitude.
The source also clarified that, though the actresses are friendly, they ‘don’t interact when they’re not working,’ and Lively’s legal issues ‘[don’t] help.’
On the latest episode of Matthew Belloni’s podcast The Town, the host spoke with Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman and shared his belief that the lawsuits would likely end in a settlement.
However, the lawyer seemed to suggest Baldoni was in it for the long haul, while skirting the issue.
That determination to continue the legal battle seems to have taken Lively and Reynolds by surprise.
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The source said Blake and Ryan were surprised by the obsessive defenses of Baldoni that popped up online, and they wish fans would wait for claims to be interrogated in court; seen February 16 in NYC
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‘Usually, when [someone says they are] a victim, there’s some grace. But they feel like they haven’t experienced that,’ the source claimed; Baldoni is pictured in May 2023
According to the first source, they were taken aback by the online army of obsessive posters who cropped up to defend Baldoni at every turn, even as many of the facts in the case haven’t been fully interrogated in court.
‘[Blake wishes] people would wait and see how things pan out in court before making judgments,’ they said, adding that the couple think the backlash has grown out of control.
‘Usually, when [someone says they are] a victim, there’s some grace. But they feel like they haven’t experienced that,’ the source claimed.
Despite the backlash, the third source said Lively had no plans to stop ‘doing her job’ and taking care of her ‘livelihood.’
‘She won’t be hiding,’ they declared.
‘The whole experience has been devastating for Blake and Ryan, but they’re not running away from it,’ they continued. ‘They know what really happened, and they’re going to stand up for themselves.’
The update on Lively and Reynolds’ marriage came after Reynolds made a blistering demand to be removed from Baldoni’s lawsuit against his wife.
In court filings obtained by DailyMail.com, he defended his wife and mocked the It Ends With Us director for his ‘thin-skinned outrage’ and his ‘hurt feelings,’ while labeling him a ‘predator.’
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The update on Lively and Reynolds’ marriage came after Reynolds made a blistering demand to be removed from Baldoni’s lawsuit against his wife, in which he called Baldoni a ‘predator’
According to Reynolds, he ‘has a First Amendment right to hold Mr. Baldoni — or any man who Mr. Reynolds believes sexually harassed his wife — in “deep disdain.”‘
Last month, Lively unleashed a new salvo in her ongoing legal back-and-forth with Justin Baldoni by claiming that she was not the only woman he made uncomfortable on the set of It Ends With Us.
An amended version of her complaint filed late in New York federal court alleged that she has corroboration of her original claims, and a spokesperson for the actress claimed that ‘other women confided in Blake about their discomfort,’ according to People.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Balondi’s attorney Freedman said: ‘Our clients have been transparent in providing receipts, real time documents and video showing a completely different story than what has been manipulated and cherry picked to the media. Our clients have taken this matter and these issues very seriously notwithstanding the jokes made publicly by the plaintiff and her husband.
‘Her underwhelming amended complaint is filled with unsubstantial hearsay of unnamed persons who are clearly no longer willing to come forward or publicly support her claims,’ he continued. ‘Since documents do not lie and people do, the upcoming depositions of those who initially supported Ms. Lively’s false claims and those who are witnesses to her own behavior will be enlightening. What is truly uncomfortable here is Ms. Lively’s lack of actual evidence.’
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Lively’s attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb said her amended complaint against Baldoni ‘provides significant additional evidence and corroboration of her original claims.’
They added that it ‘includes previously undisclosed communications’ Lively had with Sony Pictures, Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios and ‘numerous other witnesses.’
The new version of the complaint reportedly includes an added defamation claim against Baldoni that was not part of the initial document, which was filed on New Year’s Eve.
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Lively’s revised complaint adds a defamation claim against Baldoni for ‘repeated false statements … about Ms. Lively since she filed her original complaint…’ according to her attorneys; Baldoni and Lively seen on It Ends With Us set in New Jersey in January 2024
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It claims Baldoni’s ‘false narrative crumbles’ because Lively ‘was not alone in complaining about Mr. Baldoni…’ and that she ‘raised her concerns contemporaneously as they arose,’ instead of waiting until shortly before the film was released; still from It Ends With Us
According to Hudson and Gottlieb, Lively is suing for defamation ‘based on the repeated false statements the defendants have made about Ms. Lively since she filed her original complaint…’
She has also expanded her complaint to add Jed Wallace and his Texas-based crisis PR firm Street Relations, Inc., as a defendant.
Wallace, who has denied playing any part in a smear campaign against the Gossip Girl star, previously filed a $7 million lawsuit against her in response to Lively’s allegation in her initial complaint that his firm ‘weaponized a digital army’ against her on behalf of Baldoni.
She had requested Wallace be deposed in her initial complaint, though he revealed in his subsequent lawsuit earlier in February that the request had been rescinded.
Lively’s new filing alleges that others on the set of It Ends With Us can corroborate her claims.
It claims that Baldoni and his co-defendants’ ‘false narrative crumbles under the indisputable truth’ that the actress ‘was not alone in complaining about Mr. Baldoni…’
The filing also tries to establish that she ‘raised her concerns contemporaneously as they arose in 2023, not in connection with some imagined power play for control of the film in 2024.’
According to a spokesperson for Lively, the amended filing ‘details the corroboration that backs up Blake’s original sexual harassment and retaliation concerns.’
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Lively and Reynolds recently made light of the situation when they returned to the spotlight at the SNL50 anniversary special in February
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Tina Fey and Amy Poehler began by asking, ‘How’s it going?’ Reynolds nervously responded, ‘Great. Why, what have you heard?’ Lively then looked up at him with a painfully over-the-top expression of concern, before relaxing into her normal smile
They allege that the document proves that ‘other women confided in Blake about their discomfort and fear of coming forward, and their concern about the current public vitriol.’
Despite the escalating legal battle between the two parties, there’s no end in sight for Lively or Baldoni.
In January, a judge scheduled a trial date for their lawsuits in March of 2026, and both parties have already decided to skip any attempt at mediation.
Lively and Reynolds recently made light of the situation when they returned to the spotlight at the SNL50 anniversary special last month.
In one segment featuring questions from the star-studded audience, Reynolds alluded to the dueling lawsuits.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler set off the exchange by calling on it and asking, ‘How’s it going?’
‘Great. Why, what have you heard?’ the Deadpool star responded nervously while clasping his hands together.
Lively then looked up at him with a painfully over-the-top expression of concern, before relaxing into her normal smile.
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Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman later slammed the joke, despite the fact that it never explicitly referenced the Jane The Virgin actor
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Earlier this month, Lively’s legal team subpoenaed multiple cell carriers as it attempts to gather proof that Baldoni launched a smear campaign against her; Reynolds and Lively seen February 16 in NYC
Insiders later told DailyMail.com that some attendees of the SNL anniversary special were ‘apprehensive’ about chatting with the A-list couple.
‘Some producers were concerned that the show was being used to “endorse” Blake and Ryan because they seem desperate to prove that they’re still in with the Hollywood crowd,’ the insider continued.
‘Their team worked with SNL to create the joke but the truth is, people there weren’t really feeling it. To many it felt like cheap damage control. But it was included as the network knew the appearance would grab ratings and make headlines.’
They continued: ‘Some people thought it was weird that they were so eager to crack jokes about it because the accusations are serious. It felt like Ryan was desperate to stick with the funny guy act which was almost at the expense of Blake. She seemed on edge backstage.’
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman later slammed the joke, despite the fact that it never explicitly referenced the Jane The Virgin actor.
‘I’m unaware of anybody, frankly, whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation,’ he said on an appearance on Hot Mics with Billy Bush.
‘I can’t think of anyone who’s done anything like that. So it surprised me.’
Earlier in February, Lively’s legal team sent subpoenas to the cell carriers to produce ‘receipts for her legal battle against Baldoni.
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Baldoni’s legal team later said the subpoenas went ‘flagrantly overboard’ in a letter to US District Judge Lewis J. Liman; seen in August 2024 in NYC
‘Ms. Lively has initiated discovery that will expose the people, tactics, and methods that have worked to “destroy” and “bury” her reputation and family over the past year,’ her attorneys Hudson and Gottlieb told Deadline.
‘We will now receive all of the “receipts” that, unsurprisingly, are nowhere to be found on Mr. Freedman’s website, and like Ms. Lively, those “receipts” will have their day in court,’ they added, referencing Freedman’s allegation that Baldoni’s team had ‘receipts’ backing up his claim that Lively had been a bully on the set of It Ends With Us.
Baldoni’s legal team later said the subpoenas went ‘flagrantly overboard’ in a letter to US District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
‘If they have so many receipts why are they so afraid to produce them,’ Lively’s attorneys responded in a statement to People.
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