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Blake Lively has publicly accused her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni of hypocrisy, pointing out that his defamation lawsuit against her contradicts his long-standing advocacy for women. On June 5, Lively’s team released a strong statement criticizing Baldoni for undermining the values he once championed through his TED Talks, podcasts, and interviews. During the film’s promotional campaign, Baldoni had partnered with NO MORE, an organization dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault, and had spoken about the importance of asking why men harm rather than questioning why women stay. He expressed gratitude for the film’s difficult but important story and emphasized listening to women’s experiences.
However, Blake Lively’s spokesperson countered that Baldoni’s current legal actions starkly oppose his previous public messages. They highlighted how he is now contradicting years of his public persona, abandoning the powerful message from his #MeToo-related content urging men to truly listen to women, hold their pain, and believe them—even when it’s uncomfortable or against their own interests.
Supporting Lively, 19 women’s rights and survivors’ organizations, including Sanctuary for Families, National Organization for Women, Women’s Justice NOW, Equal Rights Advocates, and Child USA, have joined together by signing four amicus briefs in her defense. These groups oppose Baldoni’s lawsuit, arguing it attempts to dismantle important laws meant to protect women who speak out. They warn that his legal tactics exemplify DARVO—Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender—a strategy used by perpetrators to discredit victims and portray themselves as victims, which could discourage others from coming forward.
In response, Baldoni’s legal team has challenged the inclusion of these amicus briefs, arguing the organizations should not have a voice in the case. The briefs emphasize that the lawsuit against Lively is exactly the kind of legal abuse California’s AB 933 law seeks to prevent, as it weaponizes the judicial system to undermine survivor accounts.
These developments follow Judge Lewis Liman’s June 2 ruling, which dismissed Lively’s emotional distress claims after her legal team withdrew them. The judge also denied Baldoni’s request to access her private therapy and medical records, declaring those matters no longer relevant to the case.