Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni called out for 'high school' drama in new documentary
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's "It Ends With Us" film was supposed to be centered on the message of domestic violence, but allegations on the set of the movie created a Hollywood scandal.
Lively, 37, and Baldoni, 41, were each called out for their part in likely the "most high school fight that people with millions of dollars can have with each other," as pointed out in the Investigation Discovery documentary, "In Dispute: Lively vs. Baldoni."
Emily Reynolds Bergh, founder of R Public Relations, also offered up another opinion in the documentary, "Maybe they're both wrong."
BLAKE LIVELY VS. JUSTIN BALDONI: EVERYTHING TO KNOW
In 2019, the novel became a media sensation thanks to TikTok. Baldoni acquired the rights, and Lively was cast in the film with the "Jane the Virgin" star set to co-lead and also direct. In May 2023, "It Ends With Us" filming was paused due to the Screen Actors Guild strike. The SAG-AFTRA strike lasted from May 2, 2023, until Nov. 8, 2023.
When filming resumed in January 2024, Lively returned to set with a list of demands after arranging an "all hands" meeting regarding alleged behavior from Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath, including no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni’s or Heath's previous "pornography addiction," and no more discussions about personal experiences with sex, according to her complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.
It was during the press tour in August 2024 when social media sleuths uncovered issues between Lively and Baldoni.
"The movie came out in the summer of 2024," Perez Hilton said in the documentary. "Social media noticed that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were not doing any press together for a movie where they are the co-leads."
At the New York premiere on Aug. 6, "The Ankler" writer Matthew Frank noted that "things felt off" between the co-stars, who didn't appear on the red carpet together.
It was then revealed that Baldoni, his family and friends, watched the film from a separate theater after waiting in the basement for Lively's crew to walk the red carpet.
Despite the awkward press tour, "It Ends With Us" was a "financially successful movie," Hilton said, and there had been "a lot of hope that domestic violence would resonate with the masses."
Months later, Lively detailed allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional affliction of emotional distress, negligence and more made by Baldoni and Heath in a complaint first filed with the California Civil Rights department on Dec. 20 and later in federal court on Dec. 31.
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The same day Lively filed her federal suit, Baldoni filed a $250 million suit against the New York Times for a December article about the alleged smear campaign he attempted to run against his co-star.
Weeks later, Baldoni then named Lively and Reynolds in a separate $400 million defamation lawsuit in which he accused the Hollywood power couple of attempting to hijack "It Ends With Us" and create their own narrative.
In Baldoni's suit, he claimed she took over the edit, and he was essentially locked out of the film. From there, she allegedly threatened not to attend the premiere.
"I believe that Sony – the film's distributor and major financier – they were scared, in my opinion, of Blake Lively," Hilton said.
In addition to releasing a website detailing the timeline of events that allegedly occurred, Baldoni's team also shared unedited footage from the set of "It Ends With Us." Both Lively and Baldoni have claimed the footage bolsters their respective claims.
WATCH: JUSTIN BALDONI RELEASES UNEDITED ‘IT ENDS WITH US’ FOOTAGE
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"The dance scene, both sides think it’s great for them," legal analyst Dina Doll said in the documentary. "So, when this goes to trial, that video will for sure be shown in front of a jury, and you'll hear two completely different perspectives on what that video is."
A six-minute voice note was also released with Baldoni admitting he "fell short" of Lively's expectations. In the message sent at 2 a.m., Baldoni apologized and also thanked Lively for being vulnerable with him.
By the end of January, social media erupted after a judge ruled that the cases would go to trial in March 2026.
"Even though it seems like a lot of social media is supporting Justin Baldoni, the longer this goes on, the more reputational damage they will both suffer," Hilton said.
"Both of them are going to have a hard time getting the mud off of their reputation," Bergh said in the documentary. "They're both going to have to do some work with great professionals, hopefully, that are going to lead them down the path outside the courtroom, building back the trust of their fans.
"I believe, for Blake, she needs to be vulnerable. She needs to have a moment where she's a mom of four. We want to be connected to her and empathize… like what woman hasn't been uncomfortable in a work place? That's a common situation, and we want to support her."
Bergh added, "For Justin, you know he has this platform of debunking toxic masculinity. He needs to also – hey tail between my legs here guys – I could have done better. That's a relatable moment."