By Anuradha Gandhi and Surbhi Gandotra
In a turn of events that has captivated public attention, the prestigious award for women empowerment previously given to Justin Baldoni, was rescinded just days after the sexual harassment complaint by the co-star Blake Lively was filed. The controversy surrounding this decision raises complex questions about accountability, the intersection of personal conduct with professional recognition.
Background
Justin Baldoni, a respected figure in the film Industry, was awarded the prestigious women’s solidarity award for his unwavering commitment to gender equality, his contribution to women’s rights and his role in bringing changes in law governing domestic violence and gender based discrimination. For many years Baldoni has been seen committing himself to the cause of women.
His work has been applauded not only by the legal community but by the non- profit sectors dedicated to the women’s rights and social justice. However, all this came into question on December 20, 2024, after the revelation of the legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni that involves allegations of sexual harassment, misconduct and defamation, centering on events during the production of their film in 2024 ‘It ends with us’.
The Box Office status of the movie ‘It Ends with Us’ grossed $148.5 million in the United States and Canada and for a worldwide total of $351 million against a $25 million budget[1]. The movie became a blockbuster worldwide and so is the legal battle between the co-stars, gathering attention worldwide.
The key moments of the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has been summarized below, this timeline constitutes each event from the day the legal matter became a public news.
Events Timeline: Key moments
| S. No. | Date | Event |
| 1. | August 6, 2024 | Premiere of Movie ‘It Ends With Us” at the AMC Lincoln Square in New York City. |
| 2. | August 9, 2024 | Release date of Movie ‘It Ends With Us’ |
| 3 | December 20, 2024 | Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on accusing Baldoni of repeated sexual harassment and formation of a campaign to tarnish her reputation.
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| 4 | December 21, 2024 | New York Times reported on Lively’s allegations revealing, Baldoni hired a PR team to orchestrate a smear campaign against Lively following the allegations raised by her in her complaint against Baldoni. |
| 5 | December 22, 2024 | The talent and media agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) dropped Baldoni as a client in light of the allegations of sexual harassment. |
| 6 | December 23, 2024 | Rescinding of Baldoni’s Women Solidarity Award: In a statement the organization expressed its commitment to the principles of justice, fairness and accountability. It states, ‘The women’s solidarity Award is meant to honor those who exemplify the highest standards of conduct in the fight for gender equality and given the current circumstances, we believe it is the best interest of the parties involved to rescind the award’[3] |
| 7 | December 31, 2024 | Lively filed a Lawsuit, in The New York Federal Court, against Baldoni and his production company wayfarer Studios and his PR team. Lively, in the lawsuit claims compensatory damages for the mental agony and defamation and the lost wages[4]. |
| 8 | January 3, 2025 | Baldoni’s lawyer announced plans to file a lawsuit against Lively and her publicist Stephanie Jones for accusing them for defamation and other claims [5]. |
| 9 | January 7, 2025 | Lively’s legal team condemns further attacks from Baldoni’s supporters by emphasizing that her claims are supported by concrete evidence and they should not be dismissed as mere ‘he said/ she said’ dispute [6]. |
| 10 | January 27, 2025 | Hon’ble Judge Lewis J. Liman confirmed that the court will address both of the stars’ lawsuits in a trial set for March 9, 2026 in New York. |
| 10 | February 1, 2025 | Baldoni has launched a website, thelawsuitinfo.com, to refute Lively’s claims. |
Presently, Baldoni has taken a public stance against Blake Lively’s accusations by launching a website, thelawsuitinfo.com, to refute her claims. The site went live on February 1 and includes legal documents, texts exchanged between both.
Additionally, the website contains:
- Emails and text exchanges between Baldoni and Lively.
- Set footage from ‘It Ends with Us’ to challenge allegations of inappropriate behavior.
Baldoni’s legal team maintains that the website is a tool for transparency, allowing the public to ‘see the facts and form their own opinions.’ [7]
However, a website targeting an individual in defamatory or harassing manner amounts to potential legal violations:
- Defamation (Libel)
- Breach of confidentiality
The legal battel has intensified even more and has gathered significant attention from various Hollywood figures expressing support for Lively. Presently a New York Federal Judge has officially set a trial date for March 9, 2026, in the ongoing legal dispute.[8] The situation continues to develop as both parties prepare for potential court proceedings. The present high profile matter of defamation and reputational harm is not less than the famous matter of the year 2022, Jonny Depp v. Amber Heard[9].
The ongoing legal battel also strongly resonates to the theme of #MeToo movement as it speaks against the power dynamics. It is considered to be both a legal and a public battel as in many #MeToo cases, this dispute is also unfolded in legal arenas and the court of public opinion. Also, this involves a defamation countersuits which constitutes one of the facets of the #MeToo trend.
However, as per the first sexual harassment complaint made by lively on December 20th, 2024 in California Civil Rights Department, against Justin Baldoni remains active, with no resolution yet and the Investigation into the complaint is ongoing. No conclusion or determinations have been publically announced yet.
[1] https://deadline.com/2024/12/justin-baldoni-blake-lively-latest-1236240921/
[9] CL-2019-0002911