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‘It Ends With Us’ co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have made headlines for Lively’s harassment suit against Baldoni, raising questions of what makes a victim deserving of vindication.
‘It Ends With Us’ lawsuit sparks debate
By: Sam Simons
Media Writer
On Aug. 9, 2024, the film “It Ends With Us” was released and it is still being talked about…but not for good reasons. In fact, the content of the film isn’t what is making headlines; rather, the legal action between co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has been widespread. With all the latest lore drops about the ongoing situation among the two, it makes us wonder when will it all end for us?
This story starts four months after the film’s release when Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and for an alleged coordinated effort to destroy her professional reputation. The suit also covers the toxic work environment that he and producer Jamey Heath created during filming. Lively’s lawsuit was considered a bold move at the time, since the movie’s press tour was in full swing.
Specifically, the lawsuit details how Baldoni and producers on set would behave inappropriately with Lively, as well as improvise (unbeknownst to Lively) and prolong kissing scenes.
In response to Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni acquired the services of Melissa Nathan, who was the crisis PR specialist for Johnny Depp in the infamous Depp vs. Amber Heard trial. Speaking of which, this current lawsuit seems to parallel that 2022 case.
During that time, people were rooting for Depp, as Heard seemed to easily fit the mold of the villain rather than the victim. When the trial was everywhere, fans on Depp’s side would dissect clips of Heard and paint her to be what they wanted her to be. On the other hand, any moment that featured Depp on the stand was used to make him look like the blameless victim or even edited into fan videos idolizing him.
In the case of the “It Ends With Us” lawsuit, the same equation seems to be playing out. Referring back to the headache that was the press tour, Lively was called out for using the press tour as a marketing opportunity for herself, and overall not seeming to grasp the serious themes of the film, which include domestic violence.
During the press tour, conversely, Baldoni did take the opportunity to bring awareness to domestic violence. Therefore, when the report first came out that Lively was suing Baldoni, some found it as a shock since he is just “such a good guy.” But that is the exact problem. Lively was cemented as unlikeable due to her comments during the press tour, but Baldoni was deemed charming, which predisposed onlookers to believe him over her.
Due to Lively’s unlikeability, she doesn’t fit the criteria of being the perfect victim. In a perfect world, to be a perfect victim is to be likeable and innocent and therefore believable. However, in the real world, there is no such thing as a “perfect victim.” Anyone can be victimized – why should victims feel like they must meet certain requirements as if they were a blood donor?
No one believes the victim until it is too late. There have been countless examples of abusers in Hollywood and the music industry whose crimes are not known until long after they have taken place – think of P. Diddy, Harvey Weinstein and too many others. How many more victims have to suffer in order to be believed?
Whatever the outcome of the legal proceedings may be, the main takeaway is that Lively’s likeability among fans should not be a factor in determining whether her experiences are valid. In fact, you don’t even have to be her biggest fan to believe her. What should be much more unlikeable than Blake Lively are sexual harassment and creating a hostile workplace.
In the end, did we really need a film adaptation of “It Ends With Us?” No. It seems there have been more problems than breakthroughs. Furthermore, it is very unfortunate that a film aiming to break the stigma about domestic violence ended with such a turn of events. If there is anything that Baldoni can take away, it’s that his character Ryle should have been left as a piece of fiction.