Blake Lively Seeks $161 Million in Financial Losses From “It Ends With Us” Director Justin Baldoni
A new filing in U.S. District Court shows Blake Lively is seeking $161 million in damages in her ongoing lawsuit against actor and director Justin Baldoni. The court document offers the first full accounting of the financial losses Lively says she suffered, including earnings, brand profits, and reputational harm linked to the 2024 film It Ends With Us.
Lively first sued Baldoni, his company Wayfarer Studios, its chief executive Jamey Heath, and several publicists in December 2024, alleging that the defendants sought to damage her reputation after she raised concerns about Baldoni’s alleged on-set conduct. The defendants have denied wrongdoing. The case, which has generated multiple filings and counterclaims, is set for trial in March 2026.
The latest filing outlines how Lively arrived at the $161 million total. According to court records, she claims $56 million in lost earnings from acting, endorsements, and public appearances; $34 million in reputational harm tied to the circulation of false statements; and nearly $71 million in business losses connected to her consumer brands. The document cites more than 65 million impressions of alleged defamatory content that Lively says caused measurable financial harm.
The damages claim includes $49 million in lost profits from her hair-care brand Blake Brown, which launched in Target stores in 2024, and $22 million from Betty B Holdings, the parent company of her Betty Booze alcohol line. Lively also attributes additional losses to canceled sponsorships and public-speaking engagements.
In civil litigation, damages refer to the monetary compensation a plaintiff seeks for losses caused by a defendant’s alleged wrongdoing. Courts generally separate these losses into two categories: economic damages, which include measurable financial harm such as lost wages or profits, and non-economic damages, which cover less tangible injuries like reputational or emotional harm.
When a case involves defamation or retaliation claims, the plaintiff must show that the alleged conduct directly caused the losses and that the amount requested reflects real, demonstrable harm. The court then evaluates whether the evidence supports those claimed figures and whether any award is proportionate to the proven damage.
Defamation occurs when false statements harm someone’s reputation. Public figures such as Lively must also prove that the statements were made with actual malice, meaning the speaker either knew they were untrue or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Retaliation claims arise when a person faces negative consequences for reporting or opposing misconduct.
It Ends With Us, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, premiered in August 2024 and earned more than $350 million worldwide. The romantic drama, directed by Baldoni and starring Lively, was co-financed by Wayfarer Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures.
This filing follows earlier litigation between the same parties. In June, a federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by Baldoni and Wayfarer against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds. That complaint alleged that Lively used her celebrity influence to control the production and made false accusations when her demands were not met. The court ruled that the allegations did not meet the legal standard for defamation and dismissed the case.
The new filing does not alter the underlying claims in Lively’s lawsuit but provides a clearer picture of the financial losses she intends to prove at trial.
