Explosive Deposition: Justin Baldoni’s Ex-Agent Labels Blake Lively’s Tactics ‘Extortion’ in ‘It Ends With Us’ Feud
The legal war between *It Ends With Us* stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has reached a fever pitch, with a bombshell deposition from Baldoni’s former agent accusing Lively of “extortion” in a high-stakes battle over workplace harassment claims and alleged smear campaigns. As of October 2025, the saga—now spanning multiple lawsuits, dismissals, and countersuits—continues to grip Hollywood, raising questions about power dynamics, retaliation, and the true cost of speaking out in the #MeToo era. Court documents unsealed last week reveal the raw tensions that plagued the 2024 adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s domestic abuse novel, which grossed over $340 million despite the off-screen drama.
The feud ignited publicly in August 2024 during the film’s press tour, when Lively and Baldoni conspicuously avoided joint appearances. Tensions boiled over in December 2024, when Lively filed a lawsuit in New York federal court against Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, and PR executives Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel. In her complaint, the 38-year-old actress alleged sexual harassment on set, including unwanted physical contact and improvised explicit scenes without consent. She further claimed that after voicing concerns about the production’s handling of sensitive themes, Baldoni retaliated with a coordinated “smear campaign” involving leaked stories and social media manipulation to paint her as difficult. Lively’s suit sought damages for emotional distress and sought to bar further retaliation.
Baldoni, 41, fired back the same day with a $250 million defamation suit against *The New York Times* for its exposé on the allegations, followed by a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane. Baldoni’s team accused Lively of extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy, claiming her demands for creative control—such as hiring Reynolds’ editor and pushing reshoots—amounted to bullying. They argued Lively’s complaints were a ploy to hijack the project, not genuine grievances, and released set footage purporting to contradict her harassment claims.
The latest twist comes from a September 2025 deposition by Danny Greenberg, Baldoni’s ex-agent at William Morris Endeavor (WME), who parted ways with him earlier this year. In the transcript, Greenberg described Lively’s “escalating demands” during production as “extortionate,” likening them to coercive tactics that left Baldoni and Sony Pictures feeling trapped. “It was the cumulative pressure—script rewrites, marketing vetoes, threats to pull promotion—that felt like extortion,” Greenberg testified under oath. He clarified it wasn’t literal blackmail but a pattern of leverage that disrupted the set and forced concessions. The testimony, obtained through discovery in Lively’s ongoing suit, has been weaponized by Baldoni’s attorneys as evidence of her overreach.
Lively’s camp swiftly denounced the claims. “This is recycled victim-blaming from a disgruntled ex-representative with an axe to grind,” her lawyer, Mike Gottlieb, stated. They pointed to Greenberg’s recent split from Baldoni as evidence of bias and reiterated that Lively’s actions were protective measures for a safe environment, especially given the film’s abuse themes. Supporters, including #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, echoed this on social media, calling the “extortion” label a “classic deflection” to silence accusers.
The case has seen dramatic turns. In June 2025, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million suit, ruling it failed to prove “actual malice” in Lively’s statements, deeming some opinions or substantially true. Lively hailed it as a “total vindication,” while now seeking millions in legal fees under California’s anti-SLAPP law, which shields good-faith harassment complaints. Baldoni’s team appealed, and in September, *The New York Times* countersued him for $150,000 in punitive damages over his failed defamation claim, accusing him of frivolous litigation. Earlier motions included Lively’s February 2025 bid to dismiss Baldoni’s suit and a July subpoena to blogger Perez Hilton, whom she accused of aiding the smear.
Industry fallout has been swift. WME dropped Baldoni as a client in January 2025, insisting it wasn’t influenced by Lively and Reynolds, both agency stalwarts. Sony backed Lively, prioritizing her cut of the film and condemning “reputational attacks.” Baldoni launched TheLawsuitInfo.com in February 2025, a site chronicling his side with timelines and evidence, drawing criticism for doxxing-like transparency. Insiders whisper of delayed projects: Lively paused *Blake Brown Beauty* promotions, while Wayfarer Studios faces insurance denials from Harco National, which claims policies postdate the alleged incidents.
As discovery continues—Lively’s deposition began July 31, 2025—the case heads toward a potential 2026 trial. Experts see it as a litmus test for Hollywood’s post-#MeToo reforms, testing whether accusers can demand changes without reprisal. For Lively and Baldoni, once collaborators on an empowerment tale, the irony stings: a film about breaking cycles of abuse now mirrors their real-life rift. With reputations and fortunes at stake, this “extortion” accusation may be just the latest chapter in a story far from over.
