Justin Baldoni has maintained a low profile since being involved in a complicated legal battle with Blake Lively over It Ends With Us.
The 41-year-old actor has not posted on social media since December of last year, when reports of an on-set feud were reaching a fever pitch before Blake filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment on set.
The Jane the Virgin actor fired back with a countersuit claiming inaccuracies in the actress' own suit, as well as pressure from her and her famous collaborators to influence production of the movie, naming her husband Ryan Reynolds and best friend Taylor Swift. Both are suing each other for defamation.
While Blake, 37, has since returned to the spotlight to promote her new movie, Another Simple Favor with Anna Kendrick, Justin has kept to himself.
However, the actor was spotted on March 21 out and about in Hawai'i and looked totally different from either Ryle Kincaid from the Colleen Hoover adaptation or his usual long-haired self.
He was spotted wearing a white vest with blue shorts and sporting long curls in his hair with shaved sides plus much thicker facial hair with flecks of gray, a more casual, beach-y vibe.
© AKGSThe public ramifications of the lawsuit have extended to others associated with the film as well, including Colleen, whose viral book the production was based on and has expressed her support for Blake, as well as some of its supporting cast.
Justin's team launched a new website on February 1 titled "Lawsuit Info" that includes two PDFs, one titled "Amended Complaint," detailing his $400 million lawsuit against Blake, Ryan, their PR team and the New York Times.
© Getty ImagesOne of the movie's stars, Brandon Sklenar, spoke candidly with Gayle King on CBS Mornings about the effect the lawsuit and controversies have had on the movie, which emerged as a box office success during its run, grossing over $350 million worldwide.
"I just want people to remember why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for and just keeping the focus on that," he said. "That movie meant so much to me, and I have someone very very close to me in my life who has gone through what Lily's going through for a long time."
© GC ImagesThe actor continued: "I've been on the front lines helping her navigate that space, so that movie meant a lot to me, and it means a lot to her, this person in my life. It was one of the reasons that me doing that film gave her the strength to change her life."
Alluding to the lawsuit itself, the 1923 star added: "It's unfortunate that things get taken away from what the ethos of that thing is and it gets convoluted, and I just want to remind people [of that]."
© Getty ImagesBlake vs Justin: feud timeline
© Getty Images2024
9th August – It Ends With Us is released
6th August – Justin walks the red carpet away from the rest of his costars during the movie premiere
13th August –Justin hires crisis PR Melissa Nathan who represented Johnny Depp during his defamation trial
20th December – Blake files a huge lawsuit against Justin, accusing him of "unprofessional'' behaviour on set
21st December – Justin is dropped by his talent agency
22nd December – The New York Times leaks private messages, attesting to a PR smear campaign against Blake
31st December – Justin files a lawsuit against The New York Times
31st December – Blake files a lawsuit against Justin
2025
16th January – Justin countersues Blake for $400 million
21st January – Justin's team releases footage from the It Ends With Us set, contradicting Blake's argument
27th January – A trial date is set for March 2026
27th January – Audio of Justin is leaked where he allegedly apologises to Blake during filming
1st February –Justin's team launches a website with two legal documents about the dispute
5th February – Blake is sued by crisis PR firm for $7 million
Currently, a trial date of March 9, 2026 has been set for the Blake lawsuit against Justin and his production company in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
