Blake Lively is back online after filing her lawsuit against It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni.
“To everyone affected by the Los Angeles fires,” Lively, 37, wrote via her Instagram Story on Thursday, January 9, alongside a link to the organization Mutual Aid LA Network’s list of resources for those impacted by the ongoing disaster in California. A follow-up post included a video about the resource list.
Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, also reshared posts about how to help amid the wildfires via his Instagram Story on Thursday and linked to Mutual Aid LA Network’s list, which is continuing to be updated.
The couple, who wed in 2012 and share four children, are among many celebrities who have shared their well-wishes and resources via social media. Lively and Reynolds, 48, did not reveal whether they were personally affected by the fires.
Other stars such as Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, Diane Warren, Anna Faris, Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal and Melissa Rivers have lost their homes. The fires began to spread on Tuesday, January 7, as a result of Santa Ana wind gusts, causing devastation and forcing thousands to evacuate the area.
Lively’s support for the fire victims marked her return to social media after filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, 40, last month. In docs first obtained by The New York Times, she accused Baldoni of acting inappropriately on the set of It Ends With Us and alleged he attempted to launch a smear campaign against her to “destroy” her career.
In a December 2024 statement to Us, Lively noted, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”
Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman denied the actress’ “outrageous” accusations in a statement of his own, instead alleging that she threatened not to show up on set or promote the film unless certain demands were met. (Lively officially filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, and Wayfarer Studios on December 31, 2024.)
Baldoni, meanwhile, filed a $250 million lawsuit against the Times, further accusing Lively of trying to ban him from an It Ends With Us premiere and kicking him out of the film’s editing process. A spokesperson for the outlet defended their “meticulously and responsibly reported” story in a statement to Us last month.
UPDATE 12/31/21 11.30p.m. ET: Justin Baldoni was one of 10 plaintiffs who filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times following its reporting on costar Blake Lively after she sued him for sexual harassment. The lawsuit’s plaintiffs, which also includes publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel as well as It Ends With Us […]
During a recent interview with NBC News, Freedman insisted that Baldoni never wanted to “hurt” Lively but confirmed that the actor “absolutely” plans to countersue and “release every single text” exchanged between the costars.
Justin Baldoni Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Lively’s attorneys denounced the “attacks” from Baldoni and his team in a statement to Us on Monday, January 6, alleging that they “engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively for simply trying to protect herself and others on a film set. And their response to the lawsuit has been to launch more attacks against Ms. Lively since her filing.”
The statement that they “will continue to prosecute her claims in federal court, where the rule of law determines who prevails not hyperbole and threats.” Freedman issued a response one day later, calling out Lively’s “painfully ironic” accusations and reiterating, “We have all the receipts!”
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
