Black Lively has claimed she was not the only woman Justin Baldoni made uncomfortable on the set of It Ends With Us.
In December, Lively sued Baldoni, who co-starred and directed in the film, for sexual harassment and causing her “severe emotional distress”. Baldoni, who has denied the accusations, was subsequently dropped by his agency after the allegations emerged.
Meanwhile, Baldoni sued Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds for $400m (£321m) for attempting to “destroy” his reputation and career.
In an amended version of her filing in New York federal court, Lively claims she has corroboration of her original claims, with other women allegedly willing to be called as witnesses against Baldoni in court.
Lively’s amended complaint states witnesses have not been named in order to “protect innocent bystanders rather than exposing them to further harm. However, the women “will testify and produce responsive documents in the discovery process.”
The filing goes on to say: “The experiences of Ms. Lively and others were documented at the time they occurred starting in May of 2023.
“Importantly, and contrary to the entire narrative Defendants have invented, Mr. Baldoni acknowledged the complaints in writing at the time. He knew that women other than Ms. Lively also were uncomfortable and had complained about his behavior.”
In a statement to The Independent Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman said: “Since documents do not lie and people do, the upcoming depositions of those who initially supported Ms. Lively’s false claims and those who are witnesses to her own behavior will be enlightening. What is truly uncomfortable here is Ms. Lively’s lack of actual evidence.”
Meanwhile, Lively’s lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb commented: “Ms. Lively has filed an amended complaint today that provides significant additional evidence and corroboration of her original claims.”
Rumours of an on-set feud between Baldoni and Lively had been percolating online before it was confirmed, with the stars notably avoiding each other during the film’s promotional tour.
In January, a New York federal judge informed both parties to prepare for a trial in March 2026. After this, Lively and Reynolds’ attorneys filed a notice stating that they would seek to dismiss Baldoni’s counter-lawsuit.
Days before the first court hearing on the case, Baldoni’s team launched a website containing two legal documents about the dispute with Lively.
The documents feature an amendment claiming that the New York Times had access to Lively’s lawsuit against him at least 11 days before they published their report. The newspaper said that the filings were “rife with inaccuracies.”
Lively’s legal team has since reportedly sent subpoenas to the three major US phone companies AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, requesting Baldoni’s phone records, according to US Weekly.
Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman responded to the subpoenas, telling US Weekly that while “subpoenas are an ordinary part of the litigation,” it’s the extent of what Lively’s lawyers are seeking that is “extraordinary.”
“They are asking for every single call, text, data log, and even real-time location information for the past 2.5 years, regardless of the sender, recipient, or subject matter,” he said.
“This massive fishing expedition demonstrates that they are desperately seeking any factual basis for their provably false claims. They will find none.”
