Two years ago today, on August 11, 2024, Justin Baldoni shared a video of himself and his family visiting a local theater in Sweden. This was the type of content Blake Lively called a “smear campaign” against her.

Two days later, she and Brandon Sklenar discussed what a “monster” Baldoni is. Sklenar discussed how they were holding off on publishing an insensitive and tone-deaf Maximum Effort-produced comedy sketch, given the public backlash and “what he [Baldoni] is putting out there.”

What was he putting out there? A video of Baldoni in casual attire, holding his two kids’ hands as they went down the escalator in a local movie theater to talk about “hope” and “unhealthy relationships,” was exactly the type of content the primary audience of the It Ends With Us book and movie responded well to, in contrast to the Deadpool-esque insensitive skits and jokes about a jealous husband and murdering with empty hands that Sklenar participated in.

But why was Baldoni in Sweden?

He left the U.S. shortly after the premier and press tour ended. He was in Sweden trying to recover from Lively and Reynolds’ carefully orchestrated, mafia-style attacks against him and his studio to erase him and his contributions from his five-year passion project. He memorialized his pain in a voice memo from Aug 12,2024:

“As soon as I could—as soon as the press tour was over—I flew back to Sweden. I’m here kind of recovering. I’m sure we’re all feeling similar things, which is like this strange mix of, you know, joy that this movie that we all poured our hearts into for so long is released and is doing so well; and also the bittersweetness of the reality of what went down and how it went down, and, you know, how we were treated, and all of these things…”

He told this to the two fired editors from the movie, whom Lively replaced with Deadpool’s editor. Lively’s erasure of Baldoni from movie posters and marketing materials had collateral damage, including the editors whom Baldoni promised to fight hard for so they could receive recognition. Their names were ultimately included in the movie credits because they had done the majority of the foundational work.
Baldoni further talked about how, despite the negative leaks and attacks, he would continue to take the high road:

“And I say this in a weird place, because, you know, she’s leaked some attacks of me already, and I just believe that there’s protection, because this whole thing has been so crazy and so unjust, and yet we just keep taking the high road, all of us, you know. Great things will come from this for everybody, and I will be singing both of your praises until the end.”

Little did he know that Lively and Reynolds via WME would call a few hours later to pressure his studio to release a statement written by Reynolds, taking responsibility for Lively’s juvenile conduct and failed marketing.

Little did Baldoni know that the plan to ruin his professional relationship was already known within Lively’s circle of trust, as Sklenar wrote in a text:

“I am sure once WME drops him it will snowball.”

A True Warrior with an Unbreakable Spirit ❤️We fucking love you Emily.

Photos from summer of 2024.

More fan sightings, all posted within the last week… Justin is out here living his best life while the haters stay busy spinning wild conspiracy theories and posting juvenile snark aimed at his wife, his beloved dad, and Baldoni supporters. The contrast couldn't be clearer.

Love your smile JB! ☺️

Emily Leibert's piece in The Cut is exactly what y’all pointed out. Related post on The Cut

Relying on an obvious troll account with virtually no followers while butchering another comment to paint a certain picture. She must have graduated from NYT’s school of cherry-picking 🙃

Leibert picked these messages out of more than a thousand supportive ones on IG to give a distorted picture of the public response because certainly IG comments alone weren’t the main inspiration for her lazy work. This is peak churnalism that a mediocre writer covers a controversial story but fails to represent the broader context and instead cherry-picks the weakest examples. Girl! You could have at least credited this sub so you wouldn’t look this stupid.

Wishing this kind, fierce, loving couple many more happy years together.

Can we all agree they both hit the spouse jackpot? ...Though JB might've won by just a little bit. 😉💕

Iykyk

In honor of Ryan Reynolds interrupting our feeds every five minutes with another publicity stunt or Mint Mobile ad... it only felt right to let him interrupt this video with his cross promotions too. 🤣

Second photo credit @notsuhraw on TikTok who posted a short video with a fun caption “why is he so buff? What’s he training for? 😅” I am glad he’s healing and fans like him so much that they keep posting these interactions!

Recent JB fan sightings:

✈️ “Nicest Human Ever” — Justin Baldoni spotted by fans at the airport

⚽️ Justin spotted at the FIFA World Cup in Miami.

Shoutout to u/fatincomingvirus post for pointing this connection. We know that Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively don’t like to share the spotlight and credit with the people who worked hard on the projects.

It’s important to hear Rob Liefeld's experience in his own words. also noticed a few other interesting parallels between his experience and Justin Baldoni's. I'll make a separate post once I've confirmed a few more details.

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.635782/gov.uscourts.nysd.635782.254.0.pdf

Other important dates are:

Summary Judgment Motions due October 15, 2026.

Summary Judgment Oppositions due November 12, 2026.

Summary Judgment Replies due November 30, 2026.

Joint Pretrial Order due January 8, 2027.

Who needs paid publicity, media headlines and fake dragons when JB has the people?

Justin Baldoni spotted by fans at the airport, and the fan who shared the photo summed it up perfectly: "Nicest human ever."

Justin's authentic, kind nature shines through everywhere he goes. Fans don't just stop to say hello, they genuinely want to share those moments with others.

When people consistently post about positive interactions without being asked, it speaks volumes.
Sometimes the best PR is simply being a good human.

Credit to TikTok user @aember86

Recent JB fan sightings:

⚽️ Justin spotted at the FIFA World Cup in Miami.

❤️ Justin and Emily enjoying a date night with friends in Nashville.

OMG JB saw Haaland playing live?

Justin Baldoni was spotted by fans during the Norway vs. England FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match on Saturday, July 11, 2026.

In an IG video, a fan asked JB which team he's rooting for in the tournament. His answer? Argentina with a cute accent.

Watch this short interview a fan did with Justin: https://www.instagram.com/p/DawNDmklIIK/?img_index=2

As we've all been saying for a long time, the doxxing of the Baldonis' home address played a significant role in their decision to relocate. Shame on Blake Malice Lively’s team for doxxing them the second time.

ETA: Justin was doxxed twice. The first time was around the Los Angeles fires, when Freedman's office couldn't accept service because they were affected by the fires. Lively's team could have waited but instead they sent process servers to all of the defendants (they served Melissa Nathan when a tree was on her roof and they were trying to evacuate her home) and then Lively filed the proofs of service on the public docket when public attention to the case was at its peak. Steve Sarowitz was a direct victim of this round of doxxing when a criminal showed up at his property later.

Ironically, Lively later sought a protective order, claiming she had security concerns and making absurd requests such as requiring that her deposition take place at her lawyers' office. Judge Liman issued a protective order requiring all PIIs to be redacted. Ignoring court’s order, Lively’s lawyers put Jamey and Justin's full deposition transcripts on the public docket without redacting their home addresses. Their addresses remained publicly exposed for about a day. What makes this especially infuriating is that Justin had already received numerous death threats by that point.

Daily Mail article below:

By RUTH STYLES, US SENIOR REPORTER

After two years of relentless headlines and courtroom showdowns, Justin Baldoni and his wife Emily decided to address the 'injustice' and 'pain' they faced throughout their bitter legal battle with Blake Lively, in an emotional Instagram video shared last week. 

Now, a source close to the couple has revealed that the video statement was a spur-of-the-moment decision, brought by Baldoni's desire 'to get things off his chest so he can go back to posting, just being normal in some shape or form.'

The actor decided to break his silence on the two-year feud with his It Ends With Us co-star in a bid to put the saga behind him once and for all, as he rebuilds his life away from Hollywood, the insider told the Daily Mail. 

Of Emily, the insider added: 'They're a strong unit and they've navigated it together, so it makes sense for them to speak out together.
'She's been impacted too and they've gone through the wringer together. Seeing her husband falsely accused and then seeing this woman have her case dismissed and then she's still going out and saying she's advocating for victims - it's been tough to watch.'

Baldoni, 42, and his family have since relocated hundreds of miles away from Hollywood, swapping their Ojai, California, home for Nashville, Tennessee. 

The move was largely done with the pair's two children in mind after their home address was 'doxxed twice' allegedly by Lively's legal team, according to the source. 

'It was just [that] they have kids and wanted to make sure they had some privacy and that they got away from the noise,' the insider explained.
'I don't think anyone wanted to live through what everyone has had to live through of this public spectacle. It did not need to become this at all.'
The decision to speak out marked a significant moment for Baldoni, who had remained largely silent as the highly publicized and messy legal feud played out in public following the release of 2024 domestic violence movie It Ends With Us. 

'There is so much to say, and it makes it hard to speak,' Emily said. 'It makes it hard to figure out what is right for us, for this specific moment.'
'And we're not gonna say it all,' Baldoni added.
But what does feel important is that we can genuinely say that we are sitting here today feeling immense gratitude for so many things and so many people and so many things that have happened to us,' his wife said.
In sharper comments that appeared to refer to Lively, Emily added: 'I also feel that it's important as we say that, in that gratitude, it doesn't negate the injustice
and the pain that we have also felt in the last few years.
'And we've had to wrestle with so many things and try to understand things like how could something like this even happen.
'Let alone disguise as a fight for women [sic]. So much to unpack.'
But before he can fully start afresh in Nashville, Baldoni is still facing a showdown with former co-star Lively, 38, over what his legal team has described as an 'exorbitant' attempt to claim $8.3 million in legal fees.
'It's just incredible,' a source close to the actor said. 'She's asking for $8 million on just one portion of the defamation claim. I think they're asking for way too much.' 
For now, Baldoni's hopes of moving on with his life remain in limbo as the fight over legal fees continues to grind through court.
Although the case was settled in May after large portions of Lively's $400 million case were thrown out by Judge Lewis Liman, the actress is continuing to push for a large payout to cover payments to lawyers.
In a filing lodged in court on Monday, Baldoni's lawyer Ellyn Garofalo described Lively's demands as 'excessive' and the case as 'deeply flawed'.
She added: 'The most cursory review of Lively's submission shows multiple lawyers at the same hearings, numerous charges for lawyers conferencing, conferring, or strategizing with one another, and to put it mildly, extremely excessive research and online investigation.
'The Court should deny or drastically reduce Lively's fee request to eliminate costs attributable to the overstaffing of this employment matter'.
Judge Liman is expected to take several weeks before he issues a ruling on costs, with Baldoni and his wife left in limbo until a decision is made.

Lively, too, has lost out from the case and was a notable no-show at Taylor Swift's $50 million wedding to Travis Kelce on July 3 after the pair's friendship spectacularly flamed out after the singer was dragged into the litigation.
'Honestly, time will tell,' the source said of whether Baldoni will ever speak out about the case again.
'I think he's just definitely ready to start moving on with his life. They themselves said that there'll be time to say more eventually. But for now, they're just enjoying living their lives.'
The Daily Mail has contacted Baldoni and Lively for comment. Lively's representatives did not return requests for comment. 

“A couple months ago I was able to visit my friends @justinbaldoni and @emilybaldoni. As we sat in their living room and talked, I was in awe of their mercy and grace. Their pain was there but what was bigger was their love. They spoke no ill words of anyone.
Just mercy and also so much gratitude. My heart breaks for this family and what they have gone through. Through this entire nightmare we've kept in touch and at times I have said how angry I was. And when I do, they don't join in. They caution me about anger, and encourage mercy.
They reciprocate care and love for my family and have sent care packages to my daughter, and voice notes of prayer as l've been dealing with all of my medical stuff.
They could withdraw, close up, and have this harden them.
But that just isn't the case. They have remained soft, vulnerable, open and willing to let their life and story be used for a greater purpose.
Since the beginning of this Justin has said that God is going to use this... that he trusts that God has a plan with it all. The surrender and trust that takes shows immense faith and strength. They are overflowing with love and light and I'm so happy that more and more of the world is getting to witness and feel that love that has always flowed from them. 💛” -Kelly Matthews

As some media outlets, like NBC News with ridiculous headlines, continue to blur the line between journalism and celebrity PR, it's worth noting Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have multiple teams of PR, crisis PR and marketing firms working to shape the narrative on their behalf. They have been controlling the headlines since day 1.

Yet more than 25,000 people have left supportive comments beneath Justin and Emily Baldoni's recent video.

Reading those comments has been unexpectedly healing. Here are a few by regular folks posted within the last 8 hours.

It’s so encouraging that many people are still thinking for themselves. They're looking past the paid headlines, and refusing to accept someone's reputation being defined by a publicity machine. It feels like the justice has finally a way of finding its own path.

Oh dear Emily and Justin!

Your very presence is a thorn in the side of those who can't bear to see goodness shine. Your beautiful presence and the way you move through the world keep exposing those who thrive in darkness.

Please continue being a shining light in this dark world while others can't stop plotting and scheming against you. In the end, they only expose their own ugliness and desperation.

And thank you for being you, for living your life with joy and freedom, and, last but not least, for showing up in our feeds. Every public appearance feels like a wink to those of us who support you. A gentle reminder that you're rising above the noise, completely unbothered by the $8 million nonsense, and focused on what truly matters 🤍💙❤️

Section 47.1 applies to fees incurred in defending against a defamation action. If there is one area of Blake Lively's legal representation that can be clearly carved out from her defense against the defamation claims, it is her attorneys' pursuit of Rule 11 sanctions. That work was not directed at defending against the defamation claim. Instead, it sought sanctions against opposing counsel based on alleged litigation misconduct and focused on specific none-defamation causes of action: civil extortion, interference, and implied covenant - again not the defamation or false light (can be viewed as a duplicate of defamation claim).

In other words, Lively’s team deliberately excluded defamation causes of action in their rule 11 briefings. For this reason alone, Rule 11 work is not inextricably intertwined with any defense against any defamation claim against Lively; it is separate, independent litigation over sanctions. Treating Rule 11 fees as recoverable under Section 47.1 would effectively expand the statute beyond its intended scope and allow recovery for collateral litigation that is distinct from defending against defamation claims which is the purpose of 47.1.

P.S. Credit to all the creators on X whose legal analysis helped inform this post.

And wow more than $500,000 spent on those Rule 11 motions!!!!!! I previously guessed around $60K. Clearly, I underestimated it by a lot. My mistake.

Justin and Emily Baldoni have been spending time together and making wonderful summer memories with their children, surrounded by the love of family and friends.

The snaps I'm sharing are from the last few weeks, coming from their friends, The Bucket List Family’s public channel.

Their bright smiles genuinely brought me a sense of relief and inner joy. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. In the past, whenever I've shared these kinds of posts, so many of you commented that seeing Justin happy gave you the same feeling of comfort and relief. So I hope you enjoy this one too!

Related MSM coverage: Us Weekly recently reported that, according to sources, Justin's main focus is on his family after an extremely difficult period. Below are related excerpts from their lengthy report.

“Justin’s focus is on his family and living in the moment,” says one source. “He wants to get back to some sense of normalcy for them.”

Baldoni is producing the upcoming film Dinner with Audrey, starring Thomasin McKenzie as Audrey Hepburn and Ansel Elgort as Hubert de Givenchy. But the first source says he’s not looking to direct or act again right now. “He’s not worried about work. He feels like when he’s ready, it will work out. He’s been patient and let the process play out. That was important to him.” Baldoni is thinking of writing a book. “[It would be] about his experience and the impact it’s had on him. But nothing is solid, and he’s in no rush,” the source adds. “He’s still processing and healing.” Freedman tells Us he believes Baldoni will tell his side of the story at some point. “I think we will hear from him,” he says, adding, “Justin’s looking forward to going back to work and having the opportunity to do what he loves to do.”

He and Emily relocated to Nashville in late 2025. “It’s been a difficult time for his family, and he wanted to create some privacy,” the source says. “It’s been a really welcoming community, and he’s living as much of a normal life as he can.” Emily, 41, has been his rock. “This brought them closer. She’s a grounding force. He’s been very lucky to have an incredible support system around him.”

What a game … Even as a Netherlands fan, I was pumped for the 2nd goal of Sweden. Looking forward to our match against you. 🇳🇱 “Hup Holland Hup!” We can be temporary enemies for 90 minutes 😉🙌

Edit: Congrats to the Baldonis for their win. Adding some context for those in the sub who aren’t following the FIFA World Cup: both Justin and Emily are avid football fans, and naturally I assume they’ve been cheering for Emily’s national team, Sweden.
Tonight was Sweden’s first match of the tournament. The team had struggled leading up to the World Cup, so expectations were somewhat low. BUT, the Swedes put on a dominant performance defeating Tunisia 5–1 and completely controlling the match.
I originally made this post at halftime for fun and had no idea just how exciting the rest of the game would turn out to be.