Blake Lively Details "Gross & Disturbing" It Ends With Us Filming

The making of It Ends With Us was “a really gross and disturbing shoot,” according to Jenny Slate in a a 2023 text found in newly-unsealed filings today. The perspective comes two days before a critical hearing in Blake Lively‘s yearlong sexual harassment and retaliation action against Justin Baldoni and the producers of the Sony-distributed movie. In addition to the expected jabs by Lively at Baldoni for being a “rabid pig” and a “doofus,” there are numerous tidbits and unsparing specifics scattered throughout the thousands of pages of documents. With missives and deposition transcripts from Lively herself, Slate, IEWU author Colleen Hoover, screenwriter Christy Hall, Claire Ayoub (director of the Wayfarer-produced Empire Waist), IEWU actress Isabela Ferrer, Baldoni’s former Man Enough podcast co-host Liz Plank , some of Baldoni’s publicists, plus cameos from Taylor Swift (who calls Baldoni a “bitch” in one 2024 text exchange), Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds, the hailstorm of material offers a POV of a puerile boys’ club headed by Baldoni. A June 4, 2023 text from Slate puts it all pretty directly, calling the Wayfarer Studios co-founder and IEWU director “the biggest clown and the most intense narcissist.” Unsurprisingly, the mass unsealing supports Lively’s contention both in production and afterwards that while she did her “best to compartmentalize and get through it – I learned that, at several points after I raised my concerns about their inappropriate conduct, both Baldoni and (Wayerfarer CEO Jamey) Heath went out of their way to vilify me.” Lively’s case, which blew into the public sphere with the actress’ December 20, 2024 California Civil Rights Department complaint, claims Baldoni repeatedly harassed her on set. Lively also alleges Baldoni had a vicious online smear campaign launched against her to offset accusations he and his Wayfarer inner circle were worried she would make against the Jane the Virgin alum. They are set for a May trial if the parties can’t reach a deal in court-ordered settlement talks next month. Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit was tossed out last year. This spring’s trial has Lively seeking total damages of around $500 million for injuries to her reputation, family and businesses. One element of all this that is clarified a bit more in Tuesday’s filings is the role of Sony Pictures in the matter. The fact that Lively oversaw her own edit of IEWU, and that version was primarily what was released in August 2024 has been a clear point of contention for Baldoni and Wayfarer even as they and their crisis PR folks have denied any digital weaponization against the A Simple Favor star. Today’s documents counter the hijacking narrative they’ve long put forth, and put the decision to go with a Lively IEWU edit at the doorstep of the Culver City-based studio and its liaison executive Andrea Giannetti. “In or around late April 2024, at Sony’s suggestion and with Sony’s full support and encouragement, I was provided access to create a separate edit (while Wayfarer still had their own edit occurring in California), in order to effectuate Sony’s cut of the Film,” the NYC-based Lively states in a December 2025 declaration. “In order to contribute my best work on the Sony cut, as well as various promotional materials, I sought input from the distributor, author, other filmmakers, and my most trusted creative friends and colleagues,” she adds, with a nod to Swift (who contributed a tune to the IEWU soundtrack, Deadpool hubby Reynolds and others. While EVP Production Giannetti at one juncture calls Lively a “f*cking terrorist” to Wayfarer’s Heath over the actress’ threats to leave the project, Livley herself offers an explanation for her behavior during the edit and before. “My involvement in the edit arose because of these concerns combined with Sony and Wayfarer’s pressure to locked [sic] down an accelerated release date, not because I wanted or sought ‘control,'” Lively says in the declaration from last month. “As the person the Film was sold on, it was my likeness and image that would be used to market and promote the Film. It was critical that I was comfortable with the work product, and that I could stand behind it and lend my name and likeness to the material. I did not get paid extra for working on the edit, and was not promised a producer credit or any other benefit in advance, nor did I ever ask for or receive credit for the edit of the Film, which was an historically successful summer blockbuster.” Just under 48 hours before the summary judgement hearing in New York that will determine how much, if not all, of Lively’s claims actually make it to trial, the actress’ lawyers are touting today’s filings as a clear pathway to judicial victory. “The newly unsealed, damning documents show the consistent reaction numerous women, cast, crew, executives, partners, co-host and even his own PR team had working with Justin Baldoni,” noted Lively attorney Sigrid McCawley to Deadline today. Spokespersons for the Bryan Freedman-represented Baldoni, co-defendants Mellisa Nathan, Jennifer Abel and the Wayfarer brass did not respond to Deadline’s requests for a statement on Tuesday’s filings.