Legal Battle Erupts, Overshadowing Film's Success and Sparking Power Dynamics Debate in Hollywood

A Legal Battle Erupts

A bitter legal battle has erupted between "It Ends With Us" director Justin Baldoni and star Blake Lively. Baldoni and his production company are suing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for $400 million, alleging defamation and extortion. They claim Lively and Reynolds hijacked the film, manipulating media to smear them with false accusations of harassment.

Lively has countersued, accusing Baldoni of retaliating against her for speaking out about her treatment on set. Her lawyers call Baldoni's lawsuit "another chapter in the abuser playbook."

The lawsuit comes amidst the film's box office success. Based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, "It Ends With Us" begins as a standard romantic drama before taking a dark turn into domestic violence. The fallout has sparked discussions about the treatment of female actors.

Baldoni's suit refutes Lively's allegations, claiming they are utterly false. It details instances where Lively was comfortable and close with Baldoni, even breastfeeding in front of him during meetings. The suit alleges that Lively later misconstrued these moments as sexual harassment and misconduct.

The lawsuit also addresses Lively's claims of retaliation, stating that every request she made for an intimacy coordinator was honored. It specifically focuses on a birthing scene, refuting Lively's contention that she was "mostly nude" with non-essential people present.

Baldoni claims that he privately asked Lively her weight due to his back problems, so he could work with his trainer to safely lift her in the film. Reynolds allegedly responded by swearing at Baldoni and accusing him of fat-shaming his wife.

The lawsuit further alleges that Reynolds was responsible for Baldoni being dropped by his agency WME, which also represents both Lively and Reynolds. It claims that Reynolds approached a WME executive and expressed his disdain for Baldoni, suggesting the agency was working with a "sexual predator."

Lively's lawyers maintain that evidence will show other cast members had similar experiences with Baldoni. They claim that attacking the woman is a desperate strategy that will not refute the evidence in Lively's complaint.

The legal battle has cast a shadow over the film's success, raising questions about power dynamics in Hollywood and the treatment of actors. As the lawsuits progress, the truth behind the allegations will be revealed, and the industry will be forced to confront the issues raised by this bitter dispute.