Newly surfaced footage from It Ends With Us has injected fresh drama into the ongoing legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, flipping parts of the case on its head.

Baldoni, 41 (who both directed and starred in the film) is now using a deleted scene to counter Lively’s claims of misconduct, alleging the actress engaged in the very behavior she says prompted her lawsuit.

Deleted Clip Becomes Central Evidence

According to court filings obtained by the Daily Mail, Baldoni’s legal team submitted a previously unseen video on November 13 as part of a motion for summary judgment.

The minute-long clip, recorded during a May 2023 hospital hallway scene, shows Lively’s character, Lily, approaching Baldoni’s Ryle, grabbing his arms and giving him a brief kiss before walking away.

Baldoni’s team says the moment was entirely unscripted and claims Lively not only approved it on set, but “oversaw” the scene and added the kiss in every take, despite the screenplay containing no such moment.

Lively, who is married to actor Ryan Reynolds, has argued in earlier filings that unwanted improvised kisses were part of a pattern of sexual harassment from Baldoni.

Lively’s Allegations About Producer Conduct

The resurfaced footage comes as Lively continues pressing for sanctions against producer Jamey Heath, alleging he failed to turn over required materials, including a video she says he once showed her on set without consent.

According to a November 3 letter from her team, Heath allegedly played Lively a graphic video of his fully nude wife giving birth at home, which she described as deeply inappropriate, PEOPLE detailed.

Lively’s lawsuit accuses Baldoni of both sexual harassment and retaliation, claims he strongly denies.

When production resumed after the Hollywood strikes, Lively reportedly returned with strict conditions, including a ban on any further improvised kissing.

Baldoni’s team now argues that the newly uncovered clip contradicts her claims.

Earlier this year, Baldoni filed a defamation suit against Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times over coverage of their conflict, a case ultimately dismissed in June.

Judge Dismisses Claims Against Social Media Strategist

Lively suffered a setback last week when a New York judge dismissed her claims against PR strategist Jed Wallace.

She alleged Wallace worked with Baldoni’s team to organize a coordinated online smear campaign during the film’s release.

Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that Lively’s team failed to establish that Wallace, who lives in Texas, had enough ties to New York to be sued there, though she may still pursue a case in Texas.

A spokesperson for Lively said she is evaluating her options and preparing for a March trial against Baldoni, Heath, Nathan, and other Wayfarer Studios defendants.

Claims of a Digital Smear Campaign Intensify

The release of the deleted scene follows a separate filing accusing Baldoni and associates of using encrypted apps and auto-deleting communication tools to hide damaging evidence.

Lively’s attorneys argue that Baldoni and his team relied on apps such as Signal, disappearing voice memos, and other digital tools to coordinate a covert effort aimed at discrediting her, Daily Mail writes.

Baldoni and Lively on the set of It Ends With Us. Credit: Robert Kamau / Getty Images.

The claims echo similar accusations from a former employee of PR agency Jonesworks LLC, who alleged internal concerns about digital practices tied to the case.

Lawyers for Lively say Baldoni’s group “hid the ball at every turn,” forcing numerous motions over withheld or privileged documents.

Film’s Success Overshadowed by Off-Screen Conflict

It Ends With Us became a major box office hit, grossing $148 million domestically and $350 million worldwide.

But the escalating legal and public feud between its stars has overshadowed much of its success.

The film, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, follows Lily Bloom (played by Lively) as she builds a new life after a traumatic childhood and begins a relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni), only to see troubling patterns emerge.

Featured image credit: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images.

Justin Baldoni has leaked some alleged text messages from Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds as the case takes another dramatic turn.

Lively and Baldoni have been embroiled in legal disputes since December 2024, just months after the release of It Ends With Us.

Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, accusing him of sexual harassment and intimidation.

In response, Baldoni denied the allegations and later sued The New York Times for libel, claiming the publication had unfairly sided with Lively’s account.

He then launched a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.

Lively has claimed that Baldoni and his production company engaged in a deliberate effort to tarnish her reputation. Baldoni's team, however, denies these claims and insists that the actress and her husband were instead working to discredit him.

To support his claims, Baldoni has published what he describes as a "timeline of relevant events," which includes text exchanges allegedly between himself, Lively, and Reynolds, per the Independent.

One of the messages shared on the website reportedly shows Reynolds expressing excitement about Lively and Baldoni working together.

In a response to Baldoni’s February 28, 2021, text about collaborating with Lively, Reynolds allegedly wrote: "You've hit the jackpot with B. She literally passes on every film and every filmmaker all the time.

"I'm excited for Blake to crack open her creative piggy bank with someone as dynamic as you. This is gonna be INCREDIBLE. … I happen to adore you, Justin."

Another text exchange focuses on a scene in It Ends With Us that Lively requested to revise. In one alleged message, she wrote: "You OK if I play around with the dialogue to give her a bit more agency and fun and send to you? We can amp up their verbal ping pong/volley."

She followed up in another message, saying: "If you knew me (in person) longer you’d have a sense of how flirty and yummy the ball busting will play. It’s my love language. Spicy and playfully bold, never with teeth…."

As tensions escalated, Lively’s talent agency, WME, reportedly demanded that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios take full responsibility for any negative press about Lively.

According to Baldoni's website, they drafted a statement for him that read in part: "It Ends With Us was a troubled production which we take full accountability for.

"Blake Lively, Colleen Hoover, the entire cast and crew led with professionalism every step of the way, any negativity aimed at them is ours to own. We have always said we are not perfect and even if [we] unintentionally make mistakes, we always own them."

Baldoni’s website had been previously mentioned as a potential legal strategy. Lively’s lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, told the Daily Mail:

"The planned website will release what Mr. Freedman self-servingly proclaims will be 'full unedited WhatsApp, text and email exchanges between Lively and Baldoni,' although neither the media nor public will have any way of knowing which communications Mr. Freedman has selectively omitted from disclosure, including communications that Mr. Freedman and his clients may have deleted."

The first court hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday, February 3.

Featured image credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty