Sony President Joins Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Drama in Unsealed Lawsuit Documents

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The dispute between Blake Lively and her co-star, Justin Baldoni – who also directed and produced the film – began over a year ago in December 2024 with a formal complaint, and the legal issues are still ongoing. New information about the situation is now being revealed.

The legal case was initially set to start in March 2026, but could have been avoided if both sides reached an agreement. The start date was then moved to May 2026, and it doesn’t appear either side is willing to compromise. After Blake Lively tried to keep the files private, Judge Lewis Jeffrey Liman – brother of director Doug Liman – has now decided to make those documents public.

Recently released documents on CourtListener include hundreds of text messages between Blake Lively and others. These messages reveal Lively and her counterpart repeatedly used insulting terms like “stupid,” “doofus,” and “clown” to describe the actor Jason Baldoni. The documents also mention Lively and Baldoni’s co-stars Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar, and Isabella Ferrer.

I first noticed things were off back in August 2024, when It Ends With Us came out. It was so strange to see Blake Lively and the rest of the cast seemingly avoiding Justin Baldoni at the premiere! It quickly turned into everyone digging into Blake’s past behavior, and honestly, it didn’t look good. People found interviews where she apparently wasn’t very nice – one reporter, Kjersti Flaa, even shared a video explaining a really unpleasant experience she had with her.

Several months later, Lively unexpectedly filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing director and co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment during filming. She also claimed Baldoni tried to damage her reputation to silence her, leading to negative public reaction.

The New York Times published a detailed article about her complaint, stating it was based on a review of hundreds of documents supporting Lively’s accusations. Baldoni then sued The New York Times for $250 million, claiming defamation, and also sued Lively and her publicist, Leslie Sloan, for $400 million. Lively subsequently filed a countersuit of her own.

The legal issues have continued since then. Because of California law preventing those accused of sexual assault or harassment from suing for defamation, the actor from Jane the Virgin decided not to pursue the remaining parts of his case, giving up his right to do so.

Sony Execs Reportedly Slammed Blake Lively

A letter from Blake Lively’s lawyer, Esra Hudson, to Judge Lewis J. Liman – filed on CourtListener as part of document #1236, Attachment #2 on January 20, 2026 – details a conversation between Sony executives about negative publicity Lively received after the movie’s release. This conversation appears on page 133, section 288 of the document.

I recently saw a film produced by Adrian Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures, and let me tell you, it was a huge success! Made for just $25 million, it went on to earn nearly $350 million at the box office – a fantastic return on investment, and proof that a compelling story can really resonate with audiences.

According to a document, Tahra Grant, Sony’s Executive VP and Chief Communications Officer, wrote on August 11, 2024, that the person in question handled the situation poorly and unprofessionally—even to the point of threatening Sony—and is now upset that their actions had negative consequences.

Baldoni’s lawsuit alleges that Blake Lively attempted to take control of the movie, made alterations to the script, created her own cut of the film, and pressured Sony to give it a theatrical release.

According to a document from August 15, 2024, Sony CEO Tom Rothman stated that while Blake Lively didn’t deserve the criticism she was receiving, she was responsible for it because she didn’t follow advice and promoted her products.

When the movie came out, Lively strategically timed it with the launch of her hair product line, Blake Brown. She also used a premiere event to promote her non-alcoholic sparkling mixer, Betty Buzz, featuring a cocktail inspired by the film’s character, Ryle Kincaid – a character who exhibits abusive behavior.

Sony president Sanford Panitch shared his thoughts on August 21, 2024, stating that the recent issues stemmed from her own actions. He suggested that allowing her ex-partner to attend the premiere, avoiding the public fallout with the cast, and keeping him involved in the movie – standard practice in the entertainment industry to prioritize the project – would have prevented the situation. He also strongly criticized the timing of a separate business venture, calling it a particularly poor decision, and noted she was aware of the potential consequences but didn’t heed the advice.

Lively’s lawyer confirmed the quote came from the source but asked the court to consider the full context of that source, disagreeing with any interpretation that didn’t accurately reflect it.

More unsealed text messages and key details are expected to follow through Jan. 22.

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2026-01-21 18:37