Justin Baldoni Claims Blake Lively Only Let Him Attend 'It Ends With Us' Premiere 'Under Humiliating Conditions': She 'Stole the Film'

The awkward lack of interactions between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively at the premiere of It Ends With Us in August 2024 is finally starting to make sense.

Baldoni, the director of the film-adaptation of Colleen Hoover's hit novel, claimed Lively tried to ban him and his Wayfarer Studios team from the movie's premiere over the summer in a recently filed $250 bombshell lawsuit against The New York Times.

Baldoni, 40, alleged the Gossip Girl actress, 37, "initially refused to permit his attendance" at the star-studded event in an attempt to "undermine" the Jane the Virgin actor's role as director, executive producer and star of the film.

"Only after significant pressure did she reluctantly agree to allow Baldoni and the Wayfarer team to attend, but under humiliating conditions," his lawsuit read.

The legal filing continued: "The Wayfarer team and their families, including Baldoni and [producer Jamey] Heath, were segregated from the main cast, barred from the exclusive after-party, and forced to organize their own event at additional cost."

"Baldoni’s participation on the red carpet was cut short, and his family and friends were confined to a makeshift holding area in the basement before being escorted into a separate theater after Lively’s departure," the Five Feet Apart director's lawsuit claimed.

"Not only had Lively stolen the Film, but she also robbed Baldoni and his team of any genuine opportunity to celebrate their hard work," he declared, alleging Lively "systematically sidelined [him] from the marketing of his own Film."

Baldoni additionally fired shots at Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, in the lawsuit, accusing the Deadpool star and his wife of working together to take down the Clouds director.

"Baldoni and [Wayfarer Studios] grew increasingly fearful of what Lively and Reynolds were capable of, as their actions seemed aimed at destroying Baldoni’s career and personal life," the lawsuit stated, accusing the Free Guy star of being "aggressive" while confronting Baldoni for allegedly "fat-shaming" The Shallows actress.

The dad-of-two also claimed Reynolds tried to have Baldoni's agent drop him as a client, though the company denied said allegations in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, January 1.

"In Baldoni's filing there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This is not true," the agency insisted in response to the It Ends With Us director's lawsuit.

Their statement concluded: "Baldoni’s former representative was not at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere nor was there any pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client."

Lively's legal team also responded to Baldoni's lawsuit against The New York Times, admitting in a statement: "Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims advanced in Ms. Lively’s California Civil Rights Department Complaint, nor her federal complaint."

"This lawsuit is based on the obviously false premise that Ms. Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ruse based on a choice 'not to file a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer,' and that 'litigation was never her ultimate goal.' As demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively [Tuesday], that frame of reference for the Wayfarer lawsuit is false," her attorneys continued.

"While we will not litigate this matter in the press, we do encourage people to read Ms. Lively’s complaint in its entirety. We look forward to addressing each and every one of Wayfarer’s allegations in court," the rest of the message read.

The New York Post obtained court documents regarding Baldoni's lawsuit against The New York Times.