Attorneys for Blake Lively appeared in a New York court on Monday to demand legal fees and damages from her It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni.
The move reignites a years-long legal dispute, even after a settlement was reached between both parties last month.
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Lively's legal team argued that the defamation lawsuit previously brought against her by Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, constituted a retaliatory action prohibited under California law.
Lawyers representing Baldoni rejected the claim made by Lively's legal team.
Details regarding the exact monetary sum being sought by Lively were not immediately available from the ongoing proceedings.
Background of the Dispute
Lively filed her initial complaint against Baldoni in December 2024, alleging that the actor, who also directed the film, had spoken inappropriately regarding his sex life.
She also claimed that Baldoni sought to alter the movie to incorporate sex scenes that were not originally included in the script.
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Lively, who initially achieved fame on the television series Gossip Girl, stated that Baldoni orchestrated a public relations and social media campaign intended to ruin her reputation.
Baldoni and his studio, Wayfarer Studios, countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging extortion and defamation.
A judge dismissed those specific countersuits last year, and Wayfarer previously insisted that neither the studio, its executives, nor its public relations team engaged in any retaliation against Lively.
Federal judge Lewis Liman dismissed some of Lively's claims but upheld her allegations regarding retaliation.
The comprehensive terms of the out-of-court settlement reached between the two parties have not been publicly disclosed.
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Based on a bestselling novel by US writer Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us accumulated more than $350m at the box office in 2024, becoming one of the biggest cinematic hits of that year.
