Blake Energetic, Justin Baldoni Feud, Authorized Battle: Full Timeline

The “It Ends With Us” press tour in the summertime of 2024 was overshadowed by rumors and hypothesis of a feud between lead star Blake Energetic and Justin Baldoni, her costar and director.

However whereas the film survived the backlash and went on to change into one of many summer season’s largest hits on the field workplace, grossing $350 million worldwide, the “It Ends with Us” drama did not finish there.

In December 2024, Energetic filed a authorized criticism towards Baldoni, setting off a cascade of subsequent lawsuits introduced by Energetic, Baldoni, and even tangential characters like Baldoni’s ex-publicist Stephanie Jones.

In June 2025, a decide threw out Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit. Baldoni was allowed to file an amended criticism, however in November, the decide formally ended the go well with after the deadline for Baldoni to take action had handed.

Energetic’s unique lawsuit towards Baldoni continues to be ongoing with a trial set for Could 18.

In January 2026, unsealed court docket paperwork revealed texts between Energetic and her pal Taylor Swift, through which Swift referred to as Baldoni a “bitch” and Energetic referred to him because the “doofus director of my film.”

Here is the whole lot we find out about their feud and authorized battle.

Eve Crosbie and Ayomikun Adekaiyero contributed to earlier variations of this publish.

Baldoni did not work together with different forged members at press occasions, sparking feud rumors.

Followers suspected one thing was amiss when Baldoni and Energetic did not work together through the press tour regardless of enjoying companions within the movie.

Energetic did press occasions with costars Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer and writer Colleen Hoover, who wrote the e book the movie relies on. Baldoni did most of his press solo.

Once they each attended the New York premiere on August 6, they weren’t photographed collectively. Energetic posed together with her castmates, Hoover, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman, his “Deadpool & Wolverine” costar. Baldoni was photographed along with his spouse and a number of the different producers who labored on the movie.

Whereas talking to Leisure Tonight on the carpet on the New York premiere, Baldoni defined why he was stepping again from the limelight.

“This is not my evening — this can be a evening for all the ladies who we made this film for,” he stated.” It is a evening for Blake, this can be a evening for Colleen. I am simply so grateful that we’re right here, 5 years within the making.”

On social media, followers theorized concerning the potential drama between the 2.

The hypothesis intensified after a person on the r/ColleenHoover subreddit famous on August 6, 2024 that Energetic and Hoover didn’t comply with Baldoni on Instagram. Followers additionally seen that the movie’s different stars, together with Sklenar, Ferrer, and Jenny Slate, didn’t comply with Baldoni. Baldoni adopted all of them besides Hoover.

Enterprise Insider couldn’t confirm whether or not they beforehand adopted Baldoni.

Including to this idea was a clip of Slate seemingly sidestepping a query about Baldoni on the film’s New York premiere. Requested about having Baldoni as each a scene companion and a director, she responded by not mentioning him and as an alternative talking about how “intense” it have to be to do each jobs.

As hypothesis elevated, followers turned on Energetic.

Many followers started blaming Energetic for the supposed feud, accusing her of attempting to take over the movie.

This idea was supported by Baldoni and Energetic’s interviews within the lead-up to the premiere.

On August 9, 2024, Baldoni informed As we speak that Energetic and Reynolds, who was not a producer on the movie, contributed considerably to it.

“You may’t summarize Blake’s contribution in a sentence, as a result of her power and imprint is all around the film and actually, actually made the movie higher, and from starting to finish,” Baldoni stated.

Baldoni additionally stated he struggled to steadiness permitting collaboration and having his voice drowned out completely.

“You do not have to take heed to all people, and that did not occur on a regular basis, however there have been simply moments the place I might get out of the best way an excessive amount of,” he stated.

Baldoni stated Energetic ought to take over as director to adapt the sequel to the “It Ends With Us” novel, “It Begins with Us.”

In the meantime, Energetic informed E! Information on August 7, 2024 that Reynolds helped pen the opening scene of “It Ends With Us.”

The movie’s screenwriter Christy Hal informed Folks a day later that she wasn’t conscious that Reynolds had written a number of the dialogue used within the ultimate model of the script.

“Once I noticed a minimize, I used to be like, ‘Oh, that is cute. That should have been a cute improvised factor,'” Corridor stated. “So if I am being informed that Ryan wrote that, then nice, how fantastic.”

Followers additionally criticized how Energetic promoted the film, selecting to concentrate on its lighthearted and romantic components as an alternative of its heavy home abuse plot.

Baldoni was the one forged member who constantly spoke concerning the home abuse component.

A clip of Energetic making an off-color comment to a reporter in a 2016 interview resurfaced amid the ‘It Ends With Us’ drama.

As on-line sentiment towards Energetic turned more and more unfavourable, journalist Kjersti Flaa launched an archival clip of an interview with Blake Energetic on August 10, 2024 titled “The Blake Energetic interview that made me need to stop my job.”

“It really took me some time to recover from the expertise,” Flaa informed BI in an e-mail on August 19, 2024 of the interview, which passed off years earlier.

“Each time I entered a room after this I obtained nervous that one thing comparable would possibly occur once more,” she wrote.

Energetic’s costar made an announcement asking folks to cease specializing in ‘what might or might not have occurred.’

Sklenar, who performs Energetic’s different love curiosity in “It Ends With Us,” spoke out concerning the backlash in an Instagram publish on August 20, 2024.

“Colleen and the ladies of this forged stand for hope, perseverance, and for ladies selecting a greater life for themselves. Vilifying the ladies who put a lot of their coronary heart and soul into making this movie as a result of they consider so strongly in its message appears counterproductive and detracts from what this movie is about,” he stated.

“This movie is supposed to encourage. It is meant to validate and acknowledge,” Sklenar added. “It’s not meant to as soon as once more, make girls the ‘unhealthy man,’ let’s transfer past that collectively.”

Representatives for Baldoni, Energetic, Reynolds, Hoover, and Sklenar didn’t reply to requests for remark from Enterprise Insider.

Months later, Energetic filed a criticism towards Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and a smear marketing campaign towards her.

On December 20, 2024, Energetic filed a authorized criticism towards Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, inflicting “emotional misery,” and conspiring to break her public popularity.

Energetic’s criticism additionally named Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni’s manufacturing firm, and Jamey Heath, the corporate’s CEO, as two of the 11 defendants.

Within the criticism, Energetic stated an all-hands assembly about Baldoni and Heath’s habits on set was held in January 2023. She accused him of displaying her nude movies and pictures of girls, improvising kissing scenes or intimate scenes, and getting into her trailer whereas she was bare.

Energetic stated Heath and Baldoni responded by hiring Melissa Nathan, a disaster PR consultant, and Jed Wallace, a Texas-based contractor, each defendants within the criticism, to orchestrate a “multi-tiered” plan to “destroy” her public popularity and cease her or anybody else from talking out about what occurred on set.

She additionally stated that the forged agreed to a advertising plan created by the movie’s distributor, Sony Photos Leisure, to keep away from speaking concerning the unhappy elements of the film, which Baldoni broke away from.

“What the general public didn’t know was that Mr. Baldoni and his workforce did so to elucidate why lots of the Movie’s forged and crew had unfollowed Mr. Baldoni on social media and weren’t showing with him in public,” the criticism stated.

Baldoni’s lawyer stated Energetic blamed Baldoni in hopes of enhancing her popularity.

Bryan Freedman, an lawyer for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, informed BI in an announcement after the criticism was filed: “It’s shameful that Ms. Energetic and her representatives would make such severe and categorically false accusations towards Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet one more determined try and ‘repair’ her unfavourable popularity, which was garnered from her personal remarks and actions through the marketing campaign for the movie; interviews and press actions that had been noticed publicly, in actual time and unedited, which allowed for the web to generate their very own views and opinions.”

Freedman stated Nathan was employed as a result of Energetic made a number of calls for and threatened to not present as much as set or promote the movie in the event that they weren’t met.

When requested to reply to Freedman, a consultant for Energetic referred BI to an announcement shared with The New York Occasions on December 21, 2024: “I hope that my authorized motion helps pull again the curtain on these sinister retaliatory techniques to hurt individuals who converse up about misconduct and helps shield others who could also be focused.”

On December 24, 2024, publicist Stephanie Jones sued Baldoni, his movie studio, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel, a former worker of Jones’ PR firm, for breach of contract and defamation.

Within the go well with, Jones alleged Baldoni and the PRs orchestrated a smear marketing campaign towards Energetic whereas her firm was working with Baldoni. Jones stated this was achieved behind her again till August 2024, when Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios stopped working with the corporate and labored instantly with Abel.

Within the following days, Hoover and different stars reacted to the lawsuit.

Energetic’s costars from 2005’s “The Sisterhood of the Touring Pants” — America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel — shared a joint assertion supporting Energetic after she made the criticism.

Hoover and Sklenar, who labored on “It Ends With Us,” appeared to each throw their help behind Energetic by sharing hyperlinks to her allegations on their Instagram tales.

“@blakelively, you’ve been nothing however sincere, form, supportive and affected person for the reason that day we met,” Hoover wrote in her story publish. “Thanks for being precisely the human that you’re. By no means change. By no means wilt.”

Hoover has since deleted her Instagram, TikTok and Threads account.

Representatives for Hoover didn’t instantly reply to a remark request from BI.

Baldoni was dropped by his expertise company.

On December 21, 2024, The New York Occasions reported that Ari Emanuel, chief government of the dad or mum firm that owns Baldoni’s expertise company, William Morris Endeavor, stated the company had stopped representing him.

On December 9, 2024, earlier than the criticism was launched, Very important Voices, a nonprofit group that helps girls leaders, awarded Baldoni the Voices of Solidarity Award to honor his advocacy work for ladies.

On December 23, 2024, Very important Voices stated in an announcement on their web site that that they had rescinded the award.

“The communications amongst Mr. Baldoni and his publicists included within the lawsuit — and the PR effort they point out — are, alone, opposite to the values of Very important Voices and the spirit of the Award,” the assertion learn.

Baldoni filed a defamation lawsuit towards The New York Occasions.

Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and others talked about in a New York Occasions story that detailed Energetic’s accusations towards Baldoni filed a lawsuit towards the newspaper on December 31, 2024.

The lawsuit, obtained by BI, stated the Occasions’ story revealed on December 21, 2024 “relied virtually completely on Energetic’s unverified and self-serving narrative” and accused the publication of “disregarding an abundance of proof that contradicted her claims and uncovered her true motives.”

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Courtroom, contained screenshots of messages that it stated contradicted the Occasions’ reporting.

In an announcement supplied to BI after the lawsuit was filed, a Occasions spokesperson stated the newspaper stood by its reporting and would “vigorously defend towards the lawsuit.”

“Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based mostly on a assessment of hundreds of pages of unique paperwork, together with the textual content messages and emails that we quote precisely and at size within the article,” the assertion stated.

The outlet additionally revealed its full assertion responding to the allegations.

In an announcement supplied to BI after Baldoni’s lawsuit was filed, Freedman, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, stated Energetic had orchestrated a “vicious smear marketing campaign” and that the Occasions “cowered to the desires and whims of two highly effective ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites.”

Freedman additionally stated that they’d additionally sue different people “who’ve abused their energy to try to destroy the lives of my purchasers.”

In an announcement supplied to BI about Baldoni’s go well with, Energetic’s legal professionals stated: “Nothing on this lawsuit adjustments something concerning the claims superior in Ms. Energetic’s California Civil Rights Division Criticism, nor her federal criticism.”

Energetic filed her personal lawsuit in New York.

The identical day Baldoni filed his lawsuit towards the Occasions, Energetic filed a lawsuit towards him, Wayfarer, and others in New York federal court docket.

Representatives for Energetic stated the lawsuit, which was obtained by BI, was based mostly on the authorized criticism Energetic beforehand filed with the California Civil Rights Division. The lawsuit accuses Baldoni and his PR workforce of partaking in a marketing campaign to retaliate towards her for talking out about sexual misconduct.

“Sadly, Ms. Energetic’s resolution to talk out has resulted in additional retaliation and assaults,” her legal professionals stated in an announcement supplied to BI. “As alleged in Ms. Energetic’s federal Criticism, Wayfarer and its associates have violated federal and California state legislation by retaliating towards her for reporting sexual harassment and office security considerations.”

Representatives for Baldoni and Wayfarer didn’t handle the lawsuit filed by Energetic when reached by BI.

Baldoni’s lawyer accused Reynolds of teasing the actor with a ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ character.

On January 7, Freedman informed SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Present” that his workforce deliberate to take additional authorized motion.

Freedman additionally alleged Reynolds used his affect to assist Energetic take over “It Ends With Us” and to mock Baldoni on “Deadpool and Wolverine,” by way of a brand new character within the movie referred to as Nicepool.

Within the movie, which premiered in July 2024 and was the second-highest-grossing film of 2024, Nicepool, a model of Deadpool from an alternate dimension whose face has not been disfigured, jokes a couple of girl’s being pregnant weight, claims to be a feminist and wears a person bun.

Freedman alleged this was based mostly on Baldoni, who has a popularity for being a feminist and has been identified to put on his hair in a bun prior to now.

Within the film, Nicepool is finally killed by Ladypool, a feminine model of Deadpool from an alternate dimension performed by Energetic.

“What I make of that’s that in case your spouse is sexually harassed, you do not make enjoyable of Justin Baldoni,” Freedman stated. “You do not make enjoyable of the scenario. You are taking it very critically. You file HR complaints. You elevate the difficulty and also you comply with a authorized course of. What you do not do is mock the particular person and switch it right into a joke.”

Baldoni’s firm Wayfarer sued Energetic, her publicist, and Reynolds.

On January 16, 2025, Baldoni, his associates at his firm Wayfarer Studios, and his publicists Nathan and Abel sued Energetic, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging they orchestrated a smear marketing campaign towards him.

Baldoni’s lawsuit, which seeks $400 million in damages, alleges that Energetic, with the assistance of Reynolds and Sloane, hijacked “It Ends with Us” by wresting inventive management away from Baldoni, then labored to destroy his popularity and livelihood.

The go well with, which comprises lots of the similar particulars from Baldoni’s defamation go well with towards the Occasions, additionally claims that Reynolds pressured the expertise company WME, which additionally represents Energetic and Reynolds, to drop Baldoni.

The company did so in December however a WME spokesperson beforehand denied Reynolds and Energetic put stress on the company.

Freedman informed BI that their go well with was “based mostly on an awesome quantity of untampered proof detailing Blake Energetic and her workforce’s duplicitous try and destroy Justin Baldoni.”

“Justin and his workforce don’t have anything to cover,” the assertion provides, “paperwork don’t lie.”

Energetic’s authorized workforce stated Baldoni’s workforce’s go well with is one other try and “shift the narrative” from one about harassment claims to at least one round battles for inventive management.

“This newest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its associates is one other chapter within the abuser playbook,” Energetic’s authorized workforce stated. “That is an age-old story: A lady speaks up with concrete proof of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser makes an attempt to show the tables on the sufferer.”

Baldoni’s workforce launched behind-the-scenes footage from the “It Ends With Us” set.

In Energetic’s criticism, Energetic stated Baldoni acted as himself as an alternative of Ryle whereas filming a slow-dance sequence for the romance movie.

“At one level, he leaned ahead and slowly dragged his lips from her ear and down her neck as he stated, ‘it smells so good,'” the criticism learn. “None of this was remotely achieved in character, or based mostly on any dialogue within the script, and nothing wanted to be stated as a result of, once more, there was no sound.”

Her workforce alleged Energetic later objected to this habits and stated Baldoni replied, “I am not even drawn to you.”

On January 21, Baldoni’s manufacturing firm and lawyer hit again by sending a virtually 10-minute behind-the-scenes footage of the forged filming the scene to shops together with the Every day Mail.

Baldoni’s workforce stated in an announcement originally of the video that the footage comprises three takes filmed on Could 23, 2023, and stated these had been the one variations filmed of the scene.

“Each actors are clearly behaving properly throughout the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism,” they added.

The video additionally confirmed that the preliminary route within the “It Ends With Us” script is that Baldoni and Energetic’s characters simply dance collectively.

Within the takes, Baldoni repeatedly strikes in to kiss Energetic, and Energetic pulls away and says it could be higher in the event that they talked through the scene. At one level, Baldoni rubs his face on either side of Energetic’s neck seemingly with out warning, however the pair joke about it within the video.

The video has elicited a variety of responses on social media. Some customers thought Energetic seemed uncomfortable, whereas others believed Energetic was drawn to her costar.

Energetic’s attorneys despatched an announcement to The Hollywood Reporter after the video was revealed, saying that the footage corroborated Energetic’s story as a result of “each second of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no dialogue or consent prematurely, and no intimacy coordinator current.”

“The video reveals Ms. Energetic leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to simply speak. Any girl who has been inappropriately touched within the office will acknowledge Ms. Energetic’s discomfort,” the assertion stated.

“They may acknowledge her makes an attempt at levity to attempt to deflect the undesirable touching. No girl ought to should take defensive measures to keep away from being touched by their employer with out their consent.”

Energetic’s attorneys additionally stated that Baldoni’s option to launch the video to the media as an alternative of presenting it to court docket was an “unethical try to govern the general public” and a “continuation of their harassment and retaliatory marketing campaign.”

“Whereas they’re centered on deceptive media narratives, we’re centered on the authorized course of,” her attorneys stated.

Freedman responded in an announcement despatched to Enterprise Insider by way of e-mail on Wednesday: “Previous to submitting her lawsuit in court docket, Ms. Energetic went to The New York Occasions in an effort to publicly destroy Justin Baldoni. When Mr. Baldoni workout routines his proper to publicly defend himself by placing forth precise information and proof, for Ms Energetic and workforce this immediately turns into morally and ethically improper.”

The assertion continued: “Ms. Energetic desires very totally different requirements to use to her however fortuitously, fact and authenticity apply to everybody and might by no means be improper. Wanting on the video and the proof to return, I can perceive why Ms. Energetic would now, not need this to play out in public.”

Baldoni’s legal professionals created an internet site containing his criticism and a timeline of occasions.

In February 2025, Baldoni’s legal professionals launched an internet site containing two paperwork associated to his authorized battle with Energetic.

The primary is an amended model of Baldoni’s $400 million counter-lawsuit towards Energetic and Reynolds.

Within the amended criticism, Baldoni’s workforce claims that the metadata on The New York Occasions’ web site reveals that the publication had entry to Energetic’s civil rights criticism at the least 11 days earlier than publishing its report on Baldoni’s alleged smear marketing campaign, titled “‘We Can Bury Anybody’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.”

One other replace within the lawsuit took purpose at Energetic’s husband and accused him of utilizing the character of Nicepool in “Deadpool & Wolverine” to bully Baldoni, saying that the “caricature of a ‘woke’ feminist” was a “clear and mocking portrayal of Reynolds’ warped notion of Baldoni.”

The second doc on the brand new web site is a 168-page “timeline of related occasions” associated to the feud and the film’s manufacturing. The timeline dates from January 2019, when Baldoni approached Hoover about adapting her novel, to January 2025.

In an announcement to CNN, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman stated: “The choice to amend our lawsuit was a logical subsequent step because of the overwhelming quantity of latest proof that has come to gentle.”

Selection reported that the Occasions has disputed “inaccuracies” in Baldoni’s criticism.

A decide threw out Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit.

On June 9, US District Decide Lewis Liman dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit, through which the actor and director accused Energetic of taking inventive management of “It Ends with Us” and damaging his popularity. The go well with additionally alleged that Energetic had falsely accused Baldoni of sexual harassment as a solution to take management of the manufacturing.

The countersuit had beforehand been mixed with a separate go well with Baldoni had filed towards The New York Occasions and Energetic’s publicist Leslie Sloane, which accused Sloane of planting rumors to smear Baldoni within the press and the Occasions of facilitating their circulation.

Decide Liman dominated that Energetic’s claims of sexual harassment had been legally protected and immune from a lawsuit. Liman continues to be weighing whether or not to dismiss Energetic’s lawsuit towards Baldoni.

Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit was formally dismissed after deadline lapse.

On October 31, Decide Liman formally ended Baldoni’s lawsuit towards Energetic.

Liman acknowledged in his order that he contacted all events on October 17 that his ultimate judgment to conclude the case was coming quickly. Solely Energetic responded. With Baldoni’s aspect lacking the deadline to proceed to say, the decide dismissed the lawsuit.

Energetic’s unique lawsuit towards Baldoni continues to be ongoing. A court docket date is about for Could 18.

Unsealed court docket docs reveal Taylor Swift referred to as Baldoni a “bitch” in texts to Energetic.

On January 20, 2026, following Decide Liman’s ruling that each events launch proof earlier than a listening to to dismiss the Could trial, Energetic’s workforce launched paperwork, together with depositions and textual content messages.

They included textual content exchanges between Energetic and her pal Taylor Swift. In a single, Swift referred to Baldoni as a “bitch,” writing to Energetic earlier than the New York Occasions story ran, “I feel this bitch is aware of one thing is coming as a result of he is gotten out his tiny violin.”

A yr previous to that textual content, Energetic referred to Baldoni because the “doofus director of my film” in a textual content to Swift.

The deposition of Energetic’s “It Ends With Us” costar Jenny Slate was additionally among the many unsealed paperwork. In it, she describes an alleged incident on set the place Baldoni stated to her, “I can say this as a result of my spouse is right here, however you look attractive in what you are carrying.”

Slate stated the remark was “not applicable” on set or in “any office.”

“The remark was about me, not my character. It wasn’t helpful for my work. It wasn’t something I needed. It was undesirable and had no place, in my skilled expertise,” Slate stated in her deposition.

Texts by Slate had been additionally launched. In a single, she described Baldoni as “a fraud.”

In one other message, she referred to as him “the largest clown and probably the most intense narcissist.”

Baldoni’s workforce has but to launch its proof.

Bryan Freedman, an lawyer for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, informed Enterprise Insider in an announcement that “the proof doesn’t help the claims as a matter of legislation” and pointed to messages from Sony discussing Energetic’s habits.

“A easy learn of the newly launched message exchanges makes the reality abundantly clear. We stay assured within the authorized course of and clearing the names of the entire Justin Baldoni events.”

Reps for Energetic, Swift, and Slate didn’t reply to requests for remark.

It is a creating story. Verify again for updates.