Has Blake Lively made a mistake by suing Justin Baldoni?
That’s the question the internet is left to ask weeks after the lawsuit was first filed. For almost 6 months, the world, or at least a part of it, has been embodied in the case of She said, he said between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. And now Blake’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her gal pal, Taylor Swift, are up on the ride.
In August 2024, It Ends With Us was released into the theatre amid a lot of expectation and speculation surrounding the theme of the book. However, the fans were surprised to see the promotional events for a movie heavily based on domestic violence turned into events of flowers and joy. The shock of the promotion was yet to be dimmed when Blake Lively filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.
Blake Lively Sues Justin Baldoni for Sexual Harassment, Smear Campaign | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/abyfZXsqz0
— TMZ (@TMZ) December 21, 2024
Justin Baldoni, who has always projected himself as a champion for women’s rights and mental health, was suddenly the target of the same people who supported him. In the lawsuit, Blake Lively made some damaging claims against Justin Baldoni, thereby completely ruining his reputation.
The news of the lawsuit and its details were still hot when Justin Baldoni came back with a counter-suit, claiming Blake Lively kept him and his family in the basement during the premiere of the movie. He also claimed that Ryan Reynolds had tried to intimidate him into submission.
Justin Baldoni claims in an alleged leaked audio message that he got “sent to the basement for over an hour” by Blake Lively at the “It Ends With Us” premiere.
“I wasn’t allowed to be seen, she didn’t want me anywhere near her or the rest of the cast. So they ushered me off the… pic.twitter.com/gG8g2BBS25
— Variety (@Variety) January 8, 2025
Now that both the lawsuits are in court, public opinion is heavily divided. However, at this time, Blake Lively seems to be losing her ground on public sympathy. Deleted texts and half-cooked stories from Blake’s camp have made her claim weak and also damaged the battle women everywhere had to fight against violence and harassment.
Public opinion might not be leaning heavily towards Justin Baldoni, but he has made progress. The proofs he has submitted, texts that Blake deleted, and original contracts that somehow “got lost” are making his case for him.
Blake Lively is moving dangerously closer into Amber Heard’s zone. When Amber Heard sued Johnny Depp for domestic violence, Amber had everyone’s sympathy. She was revered by the public for being strong and brave enough to stand against the mighty Johnny Depp. Amber even won her libel case in the US. However, when Depp counter-sued her in the UK, all her defenses fell short. Even if she was telling the truth, her defense team disappointed her and literally served the case on a platter to the plaintiff.
The way Ms. Lively has been going and the stories of intimidation are coming forward, it seems like she is following in Amber Heard’s footsteps.
The court of public opinion could shift in any direction. One can just wait and watch which way the tides would turn. However, one thing is for sure: Ms. Lively has lost the high grounds of stardom.
