Content Advisory: This article discusses sexual harassment allegations and related legal claims. Reader discretion is advised.
Blake Lively’s “It Ends With Us” legal saga may not be fully done yet. The actress and Ryan Reynolds could face new questioning in a related publicist lawsuit. Justin Baldoni may also be pulled into the same fight. The original case settled, but the fallout still has teeth.
Blake Lively Legal Drama Continues
Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024 after their film became a box-office hit and a tabloid battlefield. She accused him of sexual harassment, retaliation, and a campaign to damage her reputation. Baldoni denied the allegations and later filed a $400 million countersuit. A judge dismissed that countersuit in June 2025.
The case then turned sharply against Lively in April 2026. A federal judge dismissed most of her claims, including her sexual harassment claim. Three claims remained, including breach of contract and retaliation. Before trial, both sides reached a confidential settlement in May.
That settlement ended the central fight between Lively and Baldoni. However, it did not erase every connected legal thread. One separate dispute now keeps the Hollywood mess alive. This time, the focus sits on publicists, phones, texts, and who had the right to hand over evidence.
Ryan Reynolds May Face Questions
The related case involves Baldoni’s former publicist, Jennifer Abel, and her former boss, Stephanie Jones. Abel’s company phone became a key piece of the wider dispute. Jones has said she complied with a subpoena when she handed over materials. Lawyers now reportedly want sworn testimony from major figures tied to the original case.
That is where Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni come in. Court filings reported by IBTimes UK suggest all three may face depositions. No deposition date has been confirmed publicly. Still, the possibility alone gives the settled case a new pulse.
For Lively and Reynolds, that would mean another round of legal exposure. Depositions can bring uncomfortable questions, even after a settlement. They can also revive old headlines that both sides may prefer to bury. In celebrity litigation, the cleanup often becomes its own story.
Publicist Fight Keeps The Case Alive
The publicist lawsuit matters because the original case turned heavily on alleged messaging strategy. Lively’s side argued that Baldoni’s team worked to harm her public image. Baldoni’s side denied wrongdoing and argued that Lively’s own conduct shaped the backlash. Those competing narratives made private communications especially explosive.
The legal cost has already been steep. Reports have described heavy fees, bruised reputations, and a settlement that gave neither side a clean public victory. Lively has tried to move forward with public appearances. Baldoni, meanwhile, avoided a trial that could have reopened every ugly detail.
Reynolds also became part of the wider story because of his marriage to Lively and alleged involvement in related communications. He was never the center of the film dispute. Yet celebrity cases rarely stay neatly contained. One famous spouse can become a headline magnet overnight.
For now, the deposition question remains unresolved. Lively, Reynolds, and Baldoni have not been publicly confirmed as sitting for testimony. The original lawsuit has ended, but the paper trail still matters. That is why “It Ends With Us” still refuses to end quietly.
