The public dispute between Blake Lively and her It Ends with Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni continues as another cast member has accused Baldoni of harassment. Isabela Ferrer, who played Lively’s younger version in the film, claimed that the filmmaker pressured her into the bitter legal feud.
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Baldoni issued a subpoena to Ferrer, but on August 12, his lawyers filed a motion with the court stating that the 24-year-old was unreachable and had yet to respond to the subpoena. As reported by People magazine, lawyers for Ferrer filed a rebuttal on Sunday, claiming that Baldoni “engaged in bad faith tactics” and filed his motion “for improper purposes and with the aim of harassing” Ferrer.
Lively also subpoenaed Ferrer in February, asking her to provide communication-related evidence.
Ferrer’s lawyer also claimed Baldoni is using his financial leverage over her to control how she responds to Lively’s subpoena. “While Ms. Ferrer will faithfully comply with her legal obligations under any subpoena, summons or court order, she obviously will not be intimidated or extorted by any party to otherwise participate in the proceedings,” Ferrer’s advocate Sanford Michelman said, according to Variety.
Back in December, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends with Us and also claimed that he allegedly launched a smear campaign against the actor during the release and promotion of the film last August. The case gained more publicity when The New York Times wrote a bombshell article titled ‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Campaign. Baldoni retaliated by filing a USD 250 million lawsuit against the publication for “libel and false light invasion of privacy”.
The actor also sued Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for USD 400 million, citing defamation and extortion. The latter case was dismissed in June when Lively filed a motion in a New York federal court, citing that the law protects individuals who have filed sexual harassment lawsuits.
A court date has been set for the high-profile case on March 9, 2026. Preliminary hearings commenced earlier this year in February.
