Entertainment News5 min(s) read
Blake Lively has fired back at The Hollywood Reporter over what she calls a “sexist” and “insulting” magazine cover.
The 37-year-old actress - who starred alongside Baldoni, 41, in It Ends With Us - has been embroiled in a legal battle over alleged misconduct that took place during filming.
Now, she’s taking issue with the way The Hollywood Reporter has framed the controversy.
The cover illustration in question shows Lively dressed in a flowing gown, using a slingshot to fire a phone at Baldoni, who is depicted wearing a wool tunic and clutching the original It Ends With Us book — symbolizing his role in adapting the novel into a screenplay.
An extended version of the artwork on the magazine’s website also features Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, dressed as a satirical version of his Deadpool character called “Nicepool” — which some have perceived to be a mocking characterization of Baldoni.
Meanwhile, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, is shown standing behind him with his hands on his hips, staring down Reynolds.
The imagery appears to be a reference to the biblical story of David and Goliath, in which a young shepherd defeats a giant using a slingshot. However, Lively’s team says the portrayal is both misleading and offensive.
“The Hollywood Reporter should be ashamed of itself,” a spokesperson for Lively told the Daily Mail in a scathing statement.
“The framing in this picture is outrageously insulting as it plays into every sexist trope about women who dare file a workplace complaint, turning them into the aggressor, and suggesting they deserve the retaliation that comes their way,” the statement continued.
The statement further condemned the accompanying article, saying: “In addition, the story is extremely offensive as it incredibly seems to explain away documented examples of sexual harassment and retaliation by calling them ‘cultural misunderstandings.’”
The cover has ignited backlash online, with many criticizing The Hollywood Reporter for making light of Lively’s sexual harassment claims.
Over in the comments section of The Hollywood Reporter’s post, one person wrote: “The fact that this cover actually made it to print, says a lot about the lack of judgment behind the scenes.”
A second added: “Framing a serious case of sexual harassment as a dramatic Hollywood ‘battle’ is incredibly irresponsible. And for what? Clicks? Such poor taste. This isn’t entertainment – it’s about accountability and justice. Do better.”
“This is a weird artistic concept that’s also executed incredibly poorly,” a third wrote.
Other slammed the publication for making a “joke” of a story that - at its center - stems from very serious allegations.
The magazine cover controversy comes just days after Lively escalated her legal fight against Baldoni by alleging that she wasn’t the only woman who felt uncomfortable on the set of It Ends With Us.
In an amended complaint filed in New York federal court on Tuesday, Lively’s team claims that other women “confided in Blake about their discomfort,” according to PEOPLE.
One such incident reportedly involves actress Jenny Slate, who played Allysa in the film. The Hollywood Reporter previously revealed that Slate had lodged a complaint against Jamey Heath, the CEO of Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios.
According to the report, Slate had voiced concerns about her living situation while filming in New York, saying she was unhappy with her apartment but felt stuck after placing a $15,000 deposit.
Heath allegedly offered to reimburse her so she could relocate but used “language” that made her feel “uncomfortable.” Sources claim he placed heavy emphasis on “the sanctity of motherhood and Slate’s role as a mother.”
Following the exchange, Slate filed a complaint with Sony, the film’s distributor.
Although Lively did not specifically name Slate in her amended lawsuit, the claims have added another layer to the ongoing battle between her and Baldoni’s team.
As well as accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior on-set, she also accused the actor of spearheading a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni has denied all allegations against him, and his production company has countered with its own lawsuit against Lively, seeking $400 million in damages. In an attempt to refute her claims, Baldoni’s team also released on-set footage of the scene in question.
Lively’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, has accused Baldoni’s camp of making "inflammatory extrajudicial comments" about the case, while Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has claimed that Lively’s team is attempting to impose a "gag order" to prevent him from speaking to the media.
The case is currently scheduled to go to trial in March 2026.
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Justin Baldoni's lawyer has hit back against Blake Lively's bombshell lawsuit after the two stars worked alongside each other on the hit movie It Ends With Us.
Lively, 37, has filed a sexual harassment case against Baldoni, alleging that there was inappropriate behavior from the 40-year-old while he was on set with the former Gossip Girl Alum.
According to the complaint, the production staff and crew of It Ends with Us - as well as Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds - were apparently forced to hold a meeting to discuss Baldoni's behavior toward Lively, which resulted in the actress listing some protective measures going forward.
This included "no more improvising of kissing" and "no more personal, physical touching of, or sexual comments by, Mr. Baldoni or Mr. Heath to be tolerated by [Blake Lively] and/or any of her employees, as well as any female cast or crew without their express consent."
Other requests per the document included: "No more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project," all of which Baldoni and the filmmakers agreed to.
Lively also claimed in the filing that Baldoni subsequently took part in a "social manipulation" campaign to "destroy" her reputation following the release of the movie.
The Age of Adaline star backed up her claims with alleged receipts that showed screenshots of text conversations between the podcast host, his PR executive Jennifer Abel, and his crisis management expert Melissa Nathan as they discussed what stories they wanted to plant about Lively.
Now, Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman has denied Lively's allegations, calling them "false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt,” in a statement to PEOPLE on December 21.
In a separate statement, Baldoni's lawyer, also added that Lively's complaint was to help "fix her negative reputation".
Freedman added that representatives of Wayfarer Studios "did nothing proactive nor retaliated, and only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity."
The attorney continued: "What is pointedly missing from the cherry-picked correspondence is the evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario planning and private correspondence to strategize which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals."
Freeman added that Baldoni's PR team "operated as any other crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources".
The attorney added that The Agency Group — also known as TAG PR - acted professionally and accordingly, and stated that the public could make up its own mind about Lively, per PEOPLE.
Speaking to The New York Times, Lively spoke of her complaint, stating: "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."
Ryan Reynolds has been accused of having a dig at Justin Baldoni in Deadpool & Wolverine.
In case you've dodged the drama, a dispute began when Blake Lively, 37, filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, 40, alleging inappropriate behavior on the set of their film, It Ends with Us.
The former Gossip Girl star claimed Baldoni’s actions necessitated a meeting with production staff, crew, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, to address the alleged misconduct.
According to court documents, Lively outlined specific protective measures for her continued participation in the film, including: “no more improvising of kissing” and “no more personal, physical touching of, or sexual comments by Mr. Baldoni or Mr. Heath to be tolerated by [Blake Lively] and/or any of her employees, as well as any female cast or crew without their express consent.”
Additional stipulations included prohibitions against adding sex scenes, oral sex depictions, or on-camera climaxing outside the script Lively had approved.
The lawsuit alleges these measures were agreed upon by Baldoni and the filmmakers.
Lively also accused Baldoni of orchestrating a "social manipulation" campaign to damage her reputation following the film's release.
Shortly after Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni launched his own legal counterattack, including a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
Baldoni’s legal team alleges the publication relied on Lively’s “unverified and self-serving narrative” without adequately investigating the claims.
“The claims the Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative,” reports The Independent, further claiming that the newspaper “cherry-picked” text messages to present a misleading narrative.
Well, given that Ryan Reynolds is married to Lively, people have accused him of taking a shot at Baldoni in his latest movie.
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman has accused Reynolds of using his influence to parody Baldoni in Deadpool & Wolverine.
The film, shot concurrently with It Ends with Us, reportedly features a character named “Nicepool,” who bears traits Freedman claims are intended to mock Baldoni.
Appearing on The Megyn Kelly Show on Tuesday, Freedman stated: “What Ryan Reynolds has seemingly done is use his power and influence … on Deadpool to make fun of Justin Baldoni.”
Kelly played a clip from the film showing Nicepool, portrayed by Reynolds, as a man-bun-wearing, self-proclaimed feminist who makes inappropriate comments about Lively’s character, Ladypool, and her pregnancy.
In the scene, Nicepool says: “Oh my goodness, wait til you've seen Ladypool. She is gorgeous. She just had a baby too and (you) can't even tell.” Deadpool responds: “I don't think you're supposed to say that,” to which Nicepool replies: “That's okay, I identify as a feminist.”
Freedman argued that the Nicepool character was a clear jab at Baldoni, who is publicly known as a feminist and delivered a TED Talk in 2017 on the subject.
“There’s no question it relates to Justin,” Freedman said. “I mean anybody that can watch that – the hair bun, you know, the comment about the pregnancy – it’s pretty obvious what’s being done.”
Freedman criticized Reynolds’ approach, saying: “If your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of Justin Baldoni; you don’t make fun of the situation – you take it very seriously.”
He further accused Reynolds of undermining Lively’s claims through humor, adding: “What you don’t do is mock the person and turn it into a joke.”
Freedman hinted that Reynolds may face legal repercussions for his involvement, stating that the actor would “for sure” be named in a lawsuit over It Ends With Us.
Blake Lively has issued a response after Justin Baldoni sued her and her husband Ryan Reynolds for $400 million.
Baldoni, along with his publicists, alleges that Lively fabricated sexual harassment claims to damage his career and seize control of the movie It Ends With Us.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday, accuses Lively and Reynolds of leveraging their combined star power to discredit Baldoni, who co-starred in and directed the film, per the Daily Mail.
This latest legal filing is part of a growing dispute that began in December when Lively sued Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment on set - allegations he has adamantly denied.
Responding to the lawsuit, Lively's attorneys issued a scathing statement, calling it "another chapter in the abuser playbook."
"This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO: Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim and Offender," the statement said.
The attorneys accused Baldoni's production company, Wayfarer Studios, of using its resources to retaliate through "meritless lawsuits" and media manipulation.
They further alleged that Sony had specifically asked Lively to oversee the film’s final cut, which later achieved commercial success.
"Their response to sexual harassment allegations: she wanted it, it’s her fault," the statement continued. "The strategy of attacking the woman is desperate, it does not refute the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will fail."
In Baldoni’s lawsuit, he alleges that Lively disrupted production and alienated him from the cast. According to the filing, Baldoni and his family were relegated to a makeshift basement holding area during the film’s premiere at Lively's request.
Security reportedly confined the group to a room stocked with concession stand supplies, with only foldout tables and chairs for seating.
Baldoni also claims Lively initially resisted reading the book the film is based on and acted insensitively during the promotional campaign, even naming a cocktail after the abusive male lead.
The suit alleges that Lively refused to meet with a domestic violence charity Baldoni had partnered with and mishandled the film's serious themes in favor of promoting her own brand.
The lawsuit also highlights contentious moments on set, including an incident where Lively allegedly referred to her Hollywood connections as "my dragons" during a dispute over script changes. Baldoni claims he felt threatened and pressured to comply with her demands.
The tension reportedly extended to disagreements about the film’s tone, with Lively favoring a more upbeat portrayal while Baldoni sought to focus on the story's darker themes of domestic abuse.
Despite the public feud and mixed critical reviews, It Ends With Us became a box-office success. However, the ongoing legal battles have overshadowed the film’s release, with both sides doubling down on their narratives.
Justin Baldoni has launched a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, and here is everything he has accused them of.
As you've probably seen, Baldoni has filed the lawsuit against co-star Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s PR firm, Vision PR.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, January 16, in the Southern District of New York, alleges that the defendants attempted to seize control of the production of It Ends With Us and engaged in actions that Baldoni claims harmed his career and reputation.
The lawsuit follows Lively’s December 20 legal complaint, which accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, retaliatory behavior, and creating a hostile environment during the production of It Ends With Us.
Her claims included accusations of Baldoni making inappropriate comments about her post-baby body and questioning her sex life with her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
According to Lively’s lawsuit, the allegations were addressed in a meeting attended by Lively, Baldoni, Reynolds, and other key figures involved in the film.
Baldoni’s lawsuit arrives after his earlier libel suit against The New York Times, filed on December 31, which alleged that the publication used “cherry-picked” and altered communications in its coverage of Lively’s allegations.
But what exactly has Baldoni alleged against the Hollywood couple and their PR team?
Accusations of Control and Extortion
In the 179-page complaint, Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, allege that Lively and Reynolds hijacked the production and promotional efforts of the film, per the Daily Mail.
According to the lawsuit, the couple took over creative aspects without authorization.
The plaintiffs describe their actions as a deliberate power grab.
"This is a case about two of the most powerful stars in the world deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio," the lawsuit states.
"Then, when Lively and Reynolds’ efforts failed to win them the acclaim they believed they so richly deserved, they turned their fury on their chosen scapegoat."
Claims of Defamation and False Allegations
The lawsuit accuses Lively of launching a smear campaign against Baldoni by making false claims of sexual harassment and social manipulation.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has called the allegations baseless, stating:
"This lawsuit is a legal action based on an overwhelming amount of untampered evidence detailing Blake Lively and her team's duplicitous attempt to destroy Justin Baldoni, his team and their respective companies by disseminating grossly edited, unsubstantiated, new and doctored information to the media."
Freedman added that Baldoni and his team have provided unedited documentation to counter the claims.
Marketing Conflicts
The lawsuit also criticizes Lively for failing to address the film’s sensitive subject matter - domestic violence - during the promotional campaign.
"Heartbreakingly, a film that Baldoni envisioned years ago would honor the survivors of domestic violence by telling their story, with the lofty goal of making a positive impact in the world, has now been overshadowed beyond recognition solely as a result of Lively’s actions and cruelty," the complaint says.
Professional and Personal Damages
Baldoni’s exclusion from the film’s promotional activities is cited as a significant blow to his career and reputation. The lawsuit also details alleged personal humiliation, describing how Baldoni had to watch the premiere in a separate theater with family and friends.
"Surrounded by close friends, family, soda bottles, and a lot of love, the irony of being held in a basement on what was arguably one of the most important nights of Baldoni's career thus far, was not lost on anyone," the lawsuit claims.
Additionally, the suit alleges that Lively suggested Baldoni undergo cosmetic surgery, a comment he "brushed off and moved on with the scene."
Breakdown of Collaboration
The lawsuit further alleges that Lively demanded increased control over script edits and wardrobe decisions, with Reynolds and his team reportedly taking over creative aspects of the film.
The complaint claims that these actions were part of a broader effort to sideline Baldoni.
"Lively knew full well that making those allegations would be a career death sentence for Plaintiffs, especially given that Baldoni has lived his private and public life as an impassioned advocate for gender equality and healthy masculinity," the lawsuit states.
In response, Lively’s lawyers issued a strong rebuttal, dismissing Baldoni’s claims as part of an abuser’s strategy.
"This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim," they said in a statement.
"This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender."
Blake Lively has alleged that Justin Baldoni "cried for hours in her dressing room" over her appearance while on the set of their movie It Ends With Us.
Following the controversy surrounding the release of It Ends With Us this past summer, the 37-year-old actress has taken legal action against her 40-year-old co-star, alleging sexual harassment and a coordinated effort to damage her reputation.
The adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel follows Lily Bloom (Lively), a woman who moves to a new city and falls in love with a man named Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) - who becomes abusive.
Bloom's life then takes an unexpected turn when her first love, Atlas Corrigan, re-enters her life, forcing her to confront her tumultuous relationship with Ryle and make a difficult choice.
Filming for the movie began in May 2023 - just a few months after the Gossip Girl star welcomed her fourth child, a son named Olin, with husband Ryan Reynolds.
According to the bombshell lawsuit filed by Lively, which was obtained by TMZ, Baldoni made critical comments about the Age of Adaline actress' appearance.
One incident that was included in the complaint states that the Jane The Virgin star "cried" in his dressing room on the second day of filming after social media users allegedly said "Lively looked old and unattractive based on paparazzi photos from the set," cited by Too Fab.
"[Lively] tried to reassure [Baldoni] that she should look authentic in the scenes depicted in the photos, which were just after her character had been abused by her fictional husband, rather than 'hot,'" the complaint noted.
However, the actress claimed that Baldoni - who was also the director - "appeared focused" on her "sexual appeal above all else," with the filing alleging that her co-star's "lengthy outburst caused a delay in shooting, forcing an emotional scene to be shot haphazardly".
Another accusation made in the explosive filing was that Baldoni “routinely degraded” Lively by “finding back-channel ways of criticizing her body and weight,” such as discreetly contacting her personal trainer less than four months after she gave birth.
It's also been reported that the Cloud actor asked his on-set trainer how much Lively weighed and how could he train to protect himself from a back injury before filming a scene that required him to pick her up. However, per the lawsuit "no such scene" wasn't included in the film.
Baldoni's alleged pattern of body-shaming didn't end there as according to Lively, he further humiliated her by referring her to a weight-loss specialist under the guise of providing medical support for strep throat.
"When Ms. Lively went to fill out the privacy forms, she saw the expert was not what Mr. Baldoni had represented her to be, but was instead a weight-loss specialist," the complaint states.
According to the lawsuit, a meeting was held to address Lively's concerns regarding her involvement in the film. Her husband, Ryan Reynolds, was among those in attendance.
The mom-of-four's had some demands, which were: "No more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni's alleged previous 'pornography addiction', no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mentions of cast and crew's genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake's weight, and no further mention of Blake's dead father".
"No more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing by BL [Blake Lively] outside the scope of the script BL approved when signing onto the project," were other demands mentioned in the complaint.
Sony Pictures, who distributed the movie, approved of the actress' requests. However, Lively alleged in the lawsuit that Baldoni took part in what was described as a "social manipulation" campaign launched to "destroy" her reputation.
This was documented through emails and text messages - reportedly obtained via subpoena - allegedly between the actor, his publicist, and his crisis management team.
In a statement shared with The New York Times, Lively said she hopes her legal action "helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted".
Per PEOPLE, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, fired back at the filing, calling all of the claims "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt".
Freedman said Wayfarer Studios "did nothing proactive nor retaliated" against the actress, blasting the lawsuit as "another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation".
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