NEWSJustin Baldoni's Photo From When He Was Banished to the Basement During 'It Ends With Us' Premiere Surfaces as Legal Drama With Blake Lively Explodes
Justin Baldoni’s basement photo resurfaced as his legal drama with Blake Lively rages on.
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s ongoing feud just got even messier.
Newly surfaced photos from the It Ends With Us premiere in August 2024 reveal Baldoni was tucked away amid the legal war between the costars.
The drama began when Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleged that his team orchestrated a "smear campaign" against her. Baldoni has since fired back with a defamation lawsuit, claiming Lively's allegations were based on “cherry-picked” and misleading evidence.
Justin Baldoni claimed Blake Lively sent him and his loved ones 'to the basement' during the August 2024 premiere.
According to TMZ, Baldoni’s legal filing stated that while celebrating his wife’s birthday abroad, he was "informed that Lively demanded he not attend the film's premiere on August 6, 2024."
Baldoni claimed his red carpet appearance was cut short once Lively was en route. "He and his family were quickly ushered away" then escorted "to the basement of the building," the filing reads.
Photos included in the filing show Baldoni surrounded by his loved ones in the modest setup, laughing and cheering despite the circumstances.
"There, they were confined to a makeshift holding area surrounded by concession stand stock, with only foldout tables and chairs arranged in a square," the legal document reads. "Surrounded by close friends, family, soda bottles, and a lot of love, the irony of being held in a basement on what was arguably one of the most important nights of Baldoni’s career thus far, was not lost on anyone."
Justin Baldoni is seeking $400 million in damages for defamation.
The lawsuit also claimed Lively threatened to boycott the premiere with most of the cast if Baldoni attended. However, Baldoni and the studio “refused to succumb to the bullying tactics” and “searched for a compromise.”
"Finally, through Sony, Wayfarer persuaded Lively to 'permit' Baldoni and the Wayfarer team, along with their friends and family, to attend — though only under demeaning and humiliating conditions," including arriving at a separate time, skipping the red carpet once Lively arrived and being escorted to a separate theater to watch the movie.
After the film ended, they were again "quickly escorted out of the building by security to avoid even a chance of interaction with Lively or her guests."
Following the premiere, Baldoni hosted a separate, dry after-party, organized by Wayfarer, "in part to acknowledge the known negative relationship between alcohol and domestic violence."
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Blake Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds both attended the premiere for 'It Ends With Us.'
The event was described in the lawsuit as being in line with “Baldoni's vision for the Film, focusing on celebration and gratitude, despite being humiliated."
Baldoni is seeking no less than $400 million in damages in the defamation case.
As OK! previously reported, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, recently shared an audio clip during “The Megyn Kelly Show” podcast that revealed more details about Baldoni's night.
"On what could have been one of the most beautiful nights of my life career-wise, I literally was sent to the basement with all my friends and family for over an hour because I wasn’t allowed to be seen," Baldoni allegedly said in the recording. "She didn’t want me anywhere near her or the rest of the cast."
Justin Baldoni filed a lawsuit against 'The New York Times' over a story about Blake Lively's 'cherry-picked' allegations.
He continued, "So they ushered me off the carpet and sent us down to the basement, we were down there together, my friends and family, the people that love me the most. We start laughing because of the ridiculousness of this whole thing and I realize, like on a night that was supposed to be so materialistically joyful, I was in the basement with the people that love me the most and we were all joyful and laughing cause none of that s--- matters, none of it."
Baldoni felt that Lively’s actions at the time undermined his creative expression and disrespected his work.
"That’s not why we’re in the business … to attend a premiere and be celebrated like that, we’re in it because we’re artists and we believe in what we do and because we want to create art that touches people’s souls and can move people. And that’s what we did, that’s what you both did and I believe that will follow us, the truth will prevail and light and love will win,” he concluded.
