Nearly two years after the film “It Ends With Us” hit theaters and unleashed a torrent of high-profile controversy for star Blake Lively and co-star/director Justin Baldoni, the duo’s legal battle has finally come to an end. On Monday, their attorneys jointly announced a settlement, noting their hope that the outcome (which allows the celebrities to avoid what would have been a very public trial later this month) “brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace.”
While the saga’s conclusion is likely a major relief for both parties, it can’t erase the damage done to their reputations — or rebuild our trust in how Hollywood handles abuse on- and off-screen.
While the saga’s conclusion is likely a major relief for both parties, it can’t erase the damage done to their reputations.
An adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, the film centers on a flower shop owner (Lively) who gradually recognizes her charming surgeon partner (Baldoni) is actually abusive and manipulative. While imperfect, “It Ends With Us” had the potential to spark important conversations about assault and survival.
From the very beginning, though, the film’s behind-the-scenes-drama overshadowed its serious themes. As Baldoni’s frequent absences from the 2024 press tour sparked rumors about feuds between he and Lively, the actress faced backlash for “tone-deaf” promotional interviews and resurfaced past comments. Things escalated after the movie’s intensely awkward red carpet premiere, with Baldoni hiring a crisis PR representative amid Page Six’s claims that he made Lively feel “uncomfortable” on set.
When the actress filed a complaint accusing Baldoni of creating a “hostile work environment,” which involved allegations of sexual harassment, and also of conducting a smear campaign to “destroy” her image, all hell broke loose. Baldoni was dropped by his agency. He denied the allegations and filed lawsuits against Lively and The New York Times (for its explosive report on the stars’ purported war). Lively, meanwhile, filed her own suits against the director and Baldoni’s PR team.
And that was just the start. Over the following 16 months, the duo engaged in an increasingly chaotic and public feud filled with shocking claims, private texts (including from A-listers like Taylor Swift and Ben Affleck) and purportedly incriminating on-set footage. Public support for Lively and Baldoni ping-ponged with each new revelation, the situation’s complexity and constantly-disputed facts not stopping many fans from staunchly taking, switching and retaking sides. By April of this year, when a judge dismissed 10 of Lively’s claims against Baldoni (the remaining three allegations were addressed in the recent settlement), any trace of the movie’s intended impact on viewers had had become a distant memory.
And what a shame that is. Despite a clunky script and melodramatic tone, the movie’s attempt to depict the disturbing reality of domestic abuse warranted thoughtful discussion. Were it not for the behind-the-scenes controversies, the press tour could have promoted resources for survivors rather than Lively’s hair product line; and the social media dialogue could have focused on trauma bonding and red flags, not smear campaigns and celebrity texts. Viewers who saw their experiences with abuse represented on-screen, as well as those who noted its flaws, could have been leading the “It Ends With Us” response, instead of having their invaluable voices drowned out by endless PR drama.
Audiences have lost out in other ways, too. Lively and Baldoni’s reported plots to ruin each other’s reputations via allegedly manufactured online narratives featured disturbingly effective acts of public manipulation. In an age when it’s already challenging to discern truth on social media, the success of the stars’ alleged smear campaigns has eroded our trust even further. Similarly, the level of criticism Lively faced during the height of Baldoni’s alleged campaign was so intense that it has reinforced a culture where those experiencing workplace harassment or assault may hesitate to report their abuse, no matter their own levels of stature or success.
In an age when it’s already challenging to discern truth on social media, the success of the stars’ alleged smear campaigns has eroded our trust even further.
The enormous amount of personal information about famous figures that has been revealed during this ordeal has also left an unsettling impression. As entertaining as it may have been for many to read fraught texts between Lively and Swift or analyze videos of Baldoni working on set, the public was never meant to have such intimate access to stars’ private lives. Healthy celebrity-fan relationships require clear boundaries, yet the release of all the “It Ends With Us” documents has drastically blurred these lines.
None of this is to say that either Lively or Baldoni were wrong in pursuing legal action; harassment and manipulation should not be tolerated in Hollywood or elsewhere. And it’s not to say that victims of these crimes don’t deserve a chance to fight for justice.
Hopefully, the settlement will be a significant step in helping both Lively and Baldoni heal from any mistreatment they have experienced. In time, it’s likely their public images will recover from the current scandal. But unfortunately, the same can’t be said for “It Ends With Us” and the survival story too few people got a chance to truly hear.
Rachel Simon
Rachel Simon is a writer and editor based in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is the author of “Pickleball for All: Everything but the ‘Kitchen’ Sink.” Her work has been published in The New York Times, Glamour, Vulture, Teen Vogue and more. You can find her at @rsimon113.