The drama surrounding It Ends With Us has taken another wild turn, with Justin Baldoni sharing photos of his alleged exile to the basement during the film’s New York premiere.
It’s a twist that’s giving major ‘banished to the dungeon vibes’, and it’s all part of the ongoing legal battle between Baldoni and his former co-star Blake Lively.
Court documents obtained by E! News on January 16 reveal the truly odd circumstances of Justin Baldoni’s It Ends With Us premiere night.
Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively includes these basement pics as evidence. One photo shows Baldoni, his wife Emily, and family members huddled around a red table in a windowless room, surrounded by popcorn boxes and soft drinks.
Another features Baldoni posing with seven female friends and relatives, backed by stacks of unopened water and Coke bottles.
According to the lawsuit, Baldoni and his crew were “ushered” into this makeshift holding area to avoid any run-ins with Lively on the red carpet.
The legal document states, “Surrounded by close friends, family, soda bottles, and a lot of love, the irony of being held in a basement on what was arguably one of the most important nights of Baldoni’s career thus far, was not lost on anyone”.
Baldoni’s suit also alleges that Lively excluded him from the “official celebrity after-party”, forcing him to quickly organise his own shindig. As the lawsuit puts it, “As a result, Baldoni had to quickly organise and fund a separate after-party for himself and the Wayfarer team”.
But the basement saga is just one part of this Hollywood feud. Baldoni’s countersuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, comes in response to Lively’s December 2024 lawsuit, which accused him of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment during the film’s production.
Baldoni’s legal team vehemently denies these allegations, with his lawyer Bryan Freedman stating, “Blake Lively was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth”.
Lively’s camp isn’t backing down either. They’ve dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit as “meritless”, suggesting that “the cast and others had their own negative experiences with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer”.
In a statement published by PEOPLE, Lively’s legal team said, “This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim.”
They’ve also described Baldoni’s legal action as “another chapter in the abuser playbook”, accusing him of trying to “shift the narrative”.
Amidst this legal drama, Baldoni seems to be leaning on his family for support. TMZ spotted him at LAX with his wife and kids. Baldoni told photographers, “We’re grateful to be with the family, man. We have amazing friends and family and faith”.
As the legal battle continues, with $400 million on the line and reputations at stake, one thing’s for sure — this drama is far from over.
Lead image: Getty Images / United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
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