Justin Baldoni Reveals Statement Blake Lively Allegedly Wrote for Him to Take 'Accountability' During Bad Press

Mar. 15, 2025

Blake Lively (left); Justin Baldoni.Photo:Jeff Spicer/Getty; Dia Dipasupil/Getty

Jeff Spicer/Getty; Dia Dipasupil/Getty

According to anamended complaint and timeline of eventsposted on Baldoni’s newwebsiteamid his continuedlegal battlewith Lively, theJane the Virginactor, 41, claims that Lively, 37, and her husband Reynolds, 48, prepared a statement for him and his firm asking him to take the blame for the “troubled production” ofIt Ends with Us, as well as the negative press Lively received while promoting the film. Baldoni and his team say they refused to issue the statement.

The statement reads, “It Ends with Uswas a troubled production which we take full accountability for. We are very sorry to everyone we caused upset to privately and publicly.”

“Blake Lively, [author]Colleen Hoover, the entire cast and crew led with professionalism every step of the way, any negativity aimed at them is ours to own," the statement continued. “We mutually agreed that the cast would be promoting the film separately and understood why.”

Blake Lively (left) and Ryan Reynolds pictured in 2022.Theo Wargo/WireImage

Theo Wargo/WireImage

“…We hold ourselves accountable, it’s not anyone’s job but ours and that’s part of being ‘man enough.’ We will practice what we preach. We are learning and growing from the experience and we thank everyone for their patience as we find a better way to proceed…,” the statement concluded.

Representatives for Lively did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

In December 2024, Lively sued Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios (along withIt Ends with Us’leadproducerJamey Heath, Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel, crisis publicist Melissa Nathan and more), alleging sexual harassment and a smear campaign.

Baldoni has denied the sexual harassment allegations, and subsequentlycountersued Lively, Reynolds and their publicist Leslie Sloane, as well as Sloane’s PR firm Vision PR, Inc., on accusations of defamation and extortion.According to the Baldoni’s legal filings shared on the website, Lively and Reynolds “demand[ed]” that their statement be released on Baldoni and his company’s behalf and that refusal to do so meant the “gloves will come off.”

Baldoni pictured in December 2024.Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty

Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty

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WME agreed with Wayfarer that the statement “was vague, implies culpability without substance, and fails to address the issues at hand,” per the complaint.

“Furthermore, if the goal was to mitigate negative online attention directed at Lively, the statement would have the opposite effect. In response, Wayfarer, Baldoni, and Heath reject the demand, firmly refusing to issue any statement falsely assuming responsibility for non-existent issues,” Baldoni’s legal team wrote.

source: people.com