Blake Lively Claims $161 Million in Damages Amid Ongoing Legal Battle with Justin Baldoni
In a dramatic escalation of the legal dispute surrounding the film “It Ends With Us,” Blake Lively’s attorneys have submitted court documents claiming she has suffered $161 million in damages due to what they describe as Justin Baldoni’s “smear campaign” against her. These documents, originally filed in July and recently reported by Variety and Us Weekly, break down the alleged financial impact on Lively’s multifaceted career and business ventures. The staggering figure includes $56.2 million in lost earnings from her acting, producing, speaking engagements, and endorsements, highlighting the extensive professional repercussions Lively claims to have experienced amid this high-profile conflict. The legal team further details that her beauty brand, Blake Brown, has potentially lost $49 million, while her beverage brands Betty Buzz and Betty Booze have suffered projected losses of $22 million—all attributed to damage to her public image during this ongoing dispute.
The court filings also point to significant reputational damage, which Lively’s legal team quantifies at approximately $34 million. This figure is based on their analysis of an estimated 65 million negative social media impressions regarding the actress during this controversy. Perhaps most notably, the documents name several A-list celebrities—including Taylor Swift, Emily Blunt, Scooter Braun, Hugh Jackman, and Gigi Hadid—as individuals who may possess “discoverable information” relevant to Baldoni’s alleged misconduct. Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband, is also mentioned in this context, suggesting that the legal team intends to call upon testimony from this circle of high-profile connections as the case progresses toward its scheduled March 2026 trial date.
The origins of this legal battle trace back to December 2024, when Lively filed her initial lawsuit against Baldoni (her “It Ends With Us” co-star and director), producer Jamey Heath, studio executive Steve Sarowitz, and their publicity representatives. In her complaint, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a deliberate campaign to damage her reputation—serious allegations that Baldoni has consistently and categorically denied. The conflict intensified in January when Baldoni filed a countersuit against both Lively and Reynolds, claiming extortion and defamation. This legal tug-of-war represents a stark contrast to the once-promising professional relationship between the two actors who were meant to bring a beloved novel to screen together.
The legal momentum appeared to shift in Lively’s favor this past June when a judge dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit against her and Reynolds. Following this judicial decision, Lively took to Instagram to share her perspective, connecting her experience to broader issues of women’s rights and safety. “Last week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organizations united in defending women’s rights to speak up for their safety,” she wrote. “Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us.” Her statement framed the legal battle within a larger context of women’s advocacy, suggesting that her fight against Baldoni transcends their personal conflict and touches on systemic issues of power dynamics within the entertainment industry.
Although Baldoni was given the opportunity to amend his claims for breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract by June 23, he ultimately chose not to pursue this path. Instead, according to his attorney Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s team has redirected their legal strategy toward challenging Lively’s original December 2024 lawsuit. “The Court’s decision on the motion to dismiss has no effect whatsoever on the truth that there was no harassment nor any smear campaign, and it does not in any way affect our vigorous defense against Ms. Lively’s claims,” Freedman told People magazine, maintaining his client’s innocence while indicating that they remain committed to fighting Lively’s allegations through other legal avenues.
As this complex legal battle continues to unfold, it has transformed from what should have been a celebrated film collaboration into a cautionary tale about professional relationships in Hollywood. What began as two prominent actors working together on the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel has evolved into a multimillion-dollar legal dispute with far-reaching implications for both parties’ careers and reputations. With discovery proceedings now moving forward and the trial not scheduled until March 2026, this controversy shows no signs of reaching a swift resolution. Both sides appear firmly entrenched in their positions, with Lively quantifying her damages in the nine-figure range and Baldoni’s team adamantly denying all allegations while promising to pursue “additional legal options.” The entertainment industry and public alike now watch as this high-stakes conflict continues to play out both in the courtroom and in the court of public opinion.
