Celebrity
Blake Lively Opens Up About “Intense Year” Amid Justin Baldoni Lawsuit
The actor gave her first interview since filing a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us director.
Blake Lively is breaking her silence. On May 1, the actor made her first TV interview appearance since filing her lawsuit against It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni, stopping by Late Night with Seth Meyers to promote her new film Another Simple Favor and acknowledge the ongoing legal battle.
During the interview, Meyers told her that he wasn’t “totally informed” about her lawsuit. “I’m thrilled you’re not doing ‘Weekend Update’ right now, ’cause you’d be quite informed,” she joked, referencing Meyers’ previous hosting gig on Saturday Night Live.
Lively noted that she couldn’t speak at length about her legal matters, but did open up about the “pretty intense year” she’s had. “What I can say without going too into it is that this year has been full of the highest highs and the lowest lows of my life,” she said.
Still, she continues to believe that it’s important to speak up. “I see so many woman around... especially right now, afraid to share their experiences. And fear is by design. It's what keeps us silent,” she said. “But I also acknowledge that many people don't have the opportunity to speak. So I do feel fortunate that I’ve been able to. It's the women who have had the ability to use their voice that's kept me strong and helped me in my belief and my fight for the world to be safer for women and girls.”
Lively also credited her four children — daughters James, 10; Inez, 8; and Betty, 5; and 2-year-old son Olin — for getting her through the past year. “They're just my lifeline,” she said. “No matter what day I’m having, I have to be Disneyland for them.”
Blake & Justin’s Ongoing Saga
In December, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, his producing partner Jamey Heath, the film studio behind It Ends With Us, and a few other executives and PR specialists who’d worked with the studio on the film and its rollout. Lively’s complaint included several allegations that Baldoni engaged in misconduct on the It Ends With Us set. She also accused the studio of hiring a crisis publicity team to gin up a retaliatory smear campaign during the film’s release, to sway public opinion against Lively.
The next month, Baldoni countersued. Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit — which also named Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds — included claims of civil extortion, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy, among others. Both lawsuits are currently scheduled to go to trial in March 2026.
