Justin Baldoni has claimed in a lawsuit that Blake Lively’s wardrobe requests inflated the budget of It Ends With Us by $430,000. His amended complaint alleges that Lively’s demands led to excessive spending, significantly exceeding the original wardrobe allocation for the film.
A newly launched website related to Baldoni’s legal action features an alleged email from an It Ends With Us line producer, stating that the wardrobe budget had already surged to $615,000 by April 2023. The email notes that reshoots and creative changes led to re-shopping for Lively’s costumes, far surpassing the original $185,000 budget. The producer reportedly expressed concerns, saying, “This is way more than I’ve ever seen wardrobe go over budget with the initial spend.”
The lawsuit alleges that Lively ignored the director’s vision and exerted control over wardrobe choices. According to Baldoni, Lively sent the film’s costume designer hundreds of images, even late at night, demanding a specific style for her character. The lawsuit further claims that she insisted on luxury items, including $5,000 shoes, despite playing a small business owner struggling to stay afloat.
Lively’s on-set wardrobe choices had already faced public scrutiny in May 2023 after paparazzi photos of her outfits surfaced, prompting backlash from Sony. Baldoni alleges that when he approached Lively about adjusting her wardrobe, she dismissed his concerns and suggested he was being “gaslit” by Sony and producers into relinquishing control.
The legal battle escalated in December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. She later filed a formal lawsuit against him, while Baldoni responded with a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
Reps for Lively have not yet commented on the allegations.
