Following months of rumours of a falling out between It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the narrative took a shocking turn in December when it emerged the actress had filed a lawsuit against the director. Now, after he filed a libel lawsuit, the ensuing legal battle could become the biggest court showdown since Johnny and Amber.
The Gossip Girl star, 37, has been maintaining a low profile since it all kicked off, and we’re told her husband Ryan Reynolds has been an unwavering support to her, especially by stepping up to the plate at home. The 48-year-old Marvel star has been her rock, with a source telling us, ‘He’s put everything of his on the backburner to make sure Blake and the kids have all his focus. He’s been on daddy duty while she takes phone calls and goes through all the back and forth with her lawyers and PR people.
‘It’s not just a case of filing a lawsuit and being done with it, there are constant fires to put out and that’s taking a huge amount of Blake’s energy, so Ryan has thrown himself into being her number one supporter. He’s also been planning sweet date nights to lift her spirits. He's incredibly proud of her strength in all of this and is encouraging her to keep fighting back and standing tall.’
Blake – who shares children James, 10, Inez, eight, Betty, six, and Olin, one, with her husband of 12 years – filed her headline-grabbing lawsuit in December, alleging that It Ends With Us director Justin, 40, ‘sexually harassed’ her on the set of the film and went on, with his associates, to orchestrate a smear campaign against her. Justin and his PR team have denied all claims and he has filed a $250million lawsuit against the New York Times over its reporting of Blake’s allegations. As the legalities roll on, both Ryan and Blake missed the Global Globes last weekend, with his team thought to have shut down suggestions it was because of the lawsuit.
We are told the actress’ wellbeing is paramount right now, with our source saying, ‘Blake may come off as being pretty unflappable, but underneath her picture-perfect exterior, she’s a very sensitive person. Having the world speculating about who’s right and wrong in this fight and having all this mud thrown at her has been very painful. Ryan is behind Blake 110 per cent and it’s no secret he doesn’t want to leave her side right now.
‘Being there for her is the most important thing to him and his decision to skip the Globes proves that.’
