How Sony Got Trapped In the Middle of the Lively vs. Baldoni Battle

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A few days following the launch of “It Ends With Us” last August, Tony Vinciquerra, CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, made an uncommon statement to The Hollywood Reporter, commending Blake Lively amidst a barrage of criticism on social media concerning allegations of power struggles with her director and co-star Justin Baldoni, as well as the manner in which she publicized the film. Interestingly, neither Baldoni nor his production company, Wayfarer Studios, who had collaborated with Sony to sell and distribute their adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s hit novel about a woman entangled in a complex narrative of fresh romance and domestic abuse, were mentioned in Vinciquerra’s statement.

Blake’s dedication and zeal for furthering discussions on domestic violence is highly appreciated. It’s a joy to collaborate with Blake, and we hope to work together on 12 more films,” said Vinciquerra, who has since stepped down from his position. He also lauded Hoover and the other female cast members in the movie.

At that point in time, it was unbeknownst to everyone that Sony had been acting as a mediator for several months in what later escalated into the largest uncivil conflict in Hollywood’s recent history, opposing one of Hollywood’s influential power couples (Blake Lively is married to Ryan Reynolds) and an ambitious third-party production company with significant financial resources.

It’s understandable that Vinciquerra’s statement may have been prompted by Lively’s desire to quell the negative impact on her reputation, as she faced harsh comments and threats online, not only against herself but also her family and acquaintances. Moreover, it seems that several other cast members, similar to Lively in their decision to avoid Baldoni at the film premiere or promotional events, were similarly targeted and threatened online. One of these individuals reportedly reached out to Lively, asking if Sony could provide assistance, as stated in an updated lawsuit filed on February 17 by Lively, who is suing Baldoni, Jamey Heath (CEO of Wayfarer), and others for alleged sexual harassment on set, followed by a smear campaign after the movie’s release, all happening in the Southern District of New York.

Vinciquerra’s statement is simply one instance among many that suggests Sony tried to help and pacify Lively as Baldoni’s control over the movie diminished. In this situation, Sony, who chose not to comment for this article, seemed to have no other option but to focus on Lively due to her importance in promoting and launching the film. Moreover, Sony was also mindful of potential issues on set.

It Ends With Us, which brought in over $350 million at the global box office with a low budget of $25 million, was expected to be a cause for long-term jubilation and a game-changer for Wayfarer Studios. However, it has turned into the epitome of despair for a prominent Hollywood production house. Sony Pictures, initially only involved in co-financing and distributing another studio’s film, is now embroiled in multiple lawsuits that level accusations of on-set harassment, cyberbullying, extortion, and misuse of fame to exert power.

To date, Sony hasn’t been directly involved in any of the ongoing lawsuits; however, they are referenced by both parties and could potentially be summoned if the case proceeds to trial in March 2026. A seasoned studio executive describes the situation as “chaotic.” The origin of how Lively’s version of the film made it to theaters has long been unclear. However, a thorough examination of court documents provides some insight into why Baldoni’s cut was sidelined in favor of Lively’s. He alleges that he wasn’t given access to the cut until its worldwide premiere.

Tension on the filming location intensified swiftly. By May 26, 2023 – barely a few weeks into production – Lively voiced her worries to Sony’s production executive, Ange Giannetti, regarding inappropriate and uncomfortable behavior from Baldoni and Wayfarer CEO Heath on set, as stated in Lively’s amended complaint. She provided multiple instances where she felt sexually harassed or uneasy. Giannetti clarified that any official HR complaints needed to be directed towards Wayfarer, since they were the production company and Sony was merely the distributor. Lively expressed her fear that Wayfarer would not address the issue adequately given that it is managed by the two men in question.

Giannetti is reportedly seen as having given due importance to the issues raised by Lively and communicated them to Wayfarer. Similarly, upon hearing rumors of an event involving another actress through unconfirmed sources, she took action, leading Baldoni to send an email on June 1, 2023 to the actress expressing his knowledge of her concerns and assurance that changes would be implemented, according to Lively’s lawsuit. Although Lively’s revised complaint does not explicitly mention the other actresses, it notes that two additional actresses besides Lively who had raised concerns have agreed to testify if her case goes to trial.

Regarding Lively, she chose not to submit a formal HR grievance at Wayfarer. Instead, in November 2023, she drafted a list of 17 conditions that Baldoni and Heath had to agree to if she was to resume work, following a prolonged hiatus due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes.

In an email, Sony’s legal team suggested Wayfarer to endorse the list of seventeen requests, yet emphasized that the response should be crafted to refute the underlying implications or accusations without causing additional tension or exacerbating the situation. This approach was recommended because most of the points on the list were already being acknowledged or addressed by Wayfarer, as stated in a lawsuit filed by Baldoni on December 31, 2024, at the Los Angeles Superior Court.

The requests made were: “No further references to private body parts should be made towards her”; “no discussions about past porn habits or Lively’s abstinence from pornographic content, neither with Lively nor with the crew members” and “no conversations regarding personal sexual experiences of Lively or her team, particularly those involving spouses or others, as they relate to their personal lives,” as stated in Lively’s revised lawsuit filed at the Southern District court.

A portion of the requests made also stipulated that Sony should dispatch Giannetti to the set, as well as recruit an established, veteran producer to collaborate with Lively and serve as the studio’s liaison (Todd Black was eventually selected for this role). In their lawsuit, Heath and Baldoni declared that they consented to these demands under pressure, in order to preserve the film. They also alleged that numerous of the requests were based on comments or circumstances misconstrued entirely out of context.

After Wayfarer agreed to their demands, Giannetti messaged Lively on November 29, 2023, expressing his relief that Todd [Black] is now involved and overseeing everything. He wanted to offer any help he could since he knew this situation had been incredibly challenging.

Approximately a month later, both Sony and Wayfarer found themselves taken aback during a meeting at Lively and Reynold’s Tribeca loft on January 4, 2024, when they discovered the list of return-to-work requirements had expanded to thirty items, as stated in Baldoni‘s lawsuit. Once more, they conceded, stating in their suit that they believed this was necessary to resume production.

During the continuation of filming in January for approximately six additional weeks, no further incidents occurred, as reported by Lively. (Alternatively, From January onwards, when production resumed for around six more weeks, no incidents were reported, according to Lively.)

A new tale was set to begin, as suggested in Baldoni’s revised lawsuit claim. Black allegedly told the filmmaker in late February that Lively wished for two days in the editing room with him, an unusual request due to DGA rules granting directors exclusive time to finalize their work. Sources close to the matter on Lively’s side explain that, given numerous script changes, she was worried about endorsing a film she hadn’t yet viewed, especially considering its sensitive content. Moreover, she held the authority to approve a sex scene featuring a younger version of her character, Lily, portrayed by Isabela Ferrer.

According to Baldoni’s revised lawsuit, he agreed to comply with the request out of fear she might use a 30-page document against him, and due to pressure from Sony. Wayfarer reached out to a Sony executive regarding this strange circumstance, who responded enthusiastically, “We’re in this together – at the end of this hardship lies a HUGE VICTORY!!!” In the end, Lively collaborated with Baldoni in the editing room on March 12, 2024, providing seven pages of script suggestions that they implemented. However, she didn’t appear for the second day of work.

In April 2024, Sony, acting as a mediator, told Wayfarer that Lively requested private time in the editing room with her personal editor. Lively expressed concerns that she might not promote the film again, as mentioned in Baldoni’s complaint. Later on, Wayfarer granted Lively’s request. From April 22 to May 1, Lively worked on her edit, while Baldoni continued working on his, as stated in Baldoni’s court documents.

Ms. Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation are not related to the changes made in the film. These alterations serve as a diversionary tactic, intended to shift attention away from the serious misconduct allegedly committed by the defendants,” Lively’s amended complaint states. “The version of the movie that was ultimately released in theaters is known as ‘the Sony cut.’ Ms. Lively spearheaded this edition, working hand-in-hand with Sony and Colleen Hoover, a collaboration endorsed by several emails from Sony executives commending her work on the trailer and film.

According to Baldoni and Wayfarer, they dispute what Lively refers to as the “Sony cut.” Instead, in their revised complaint’s timeline, they claim that neither Sony nor Wayfarer solely owned a studio cut. Rather, they shared a studio cut. If the director’s cut didn’t fare well during test screenings, both studios had the authority to edit the film. However, this never happened because Lively leveraged her promotional efforts to ensure she got the final say in the film’s editing.

In late April 2024, creative control once more sparked contention when Heath was displeased upon discovering that Lively sought to bring extra creative partners into the editing suite, in addition to her own editor. As per Baldoni’s revised lawsuit claim, a Sony executive stated that it would be made clear that Lively would also require Wayfarer’s approval for any such collaboration. The revised complaint asserts that when Heath pointed out that Sony seemed to accommodate Lively excessively, the executive acknowledged the imbalance and admitted this was not a scenario they anticipated. However, in this instance, Sony remained resolute. Wayfarer was informed that someone of higher rank had spoken with Lively. She abandoned her demand for additional partners.

Sony encountered another predicament, as mentioned in Baldoni’s amended complaint. In essence, a Sony marketing executive claimed that Wayfarer Lively was refusing to approve a trailer unless Wayfarer (who she wasn’t communicating with) would waive signing overdue documents, which could render her threats about not promoting the movie inconsequential. This was a concern for Sony, especially since they relied on Lively reaching out to her friend Taylor Swift to release “My Tears Ricochet” for the trailer. When Heath refused to comply with this request, the marketing executive expressed frustration and made a stern threat: “If you don’t cooperate, you will delay and significantly harm the movie. Good luck. Complete the director cut and we can schedule multiple previews later.” Eventually, Wayfarer complied, but the debate over releasing either Baldoni’s or Lively’s preferred cut became irrelevant.

By June, the takeover was finalized: Sony contacted Wayfarer stating that neither Lively nor any of the cast would endorse the movie unless Lively’s scene was included, as stated in Baldoni’s revised lawsuit. Faced with the difficult decision of either scrapping the film or letting go of his director role and allowing Lively to complete the project, Baldoni opted for the latter, as detailed in his court documents.

Back in June 2023, when my scene from the movie was screened at Book Bonanza, a book convention, I couldn’t believe the electrifying reaction it sparked! The buzz on social media was incredible. In fact, a Sony executive told me later that they hadn’t seen such enthusiasm since working on a popular Marvel film back in the day, according to someone in the know. What an amazing feeling!

Despite the resolution reached earlier, Sony continued to act as a mediator during the summer months, as tensions persisted over various demands concerning multiple issues. One of these points of contention involved Lively requesting that Sony persuade Wayfarer to submit detailed explanations of her production work to the PGA (as she was then listed as an executive producer). Lively threatened to end their relationship if the letters weren’t sent, according to one of Wayfarer’s legal filings. Heath and Baldoni complied, but also wrote a letter to their lawyers stating they felt compelled to sign the documents. Furthermore, Sony had to inform both parties that Lively wanted her name removed from a secondary poster for the film (her name had previously been omitted from other promotional materials). In this instance, Sony required him to sign a waiver relinquishing his right to a “film by” credit on the poster, which he agreed to.

The energetic movie produced by Lively, directed by Baldoni, was unveiled in cinemas and astonishingly achieved a massive triumph for a film with financial troubles that had a production cost of merely $25 million. It raked in more than $50 million on its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind her husband’s movie, Deadpool & Wolverine. This marked the first time since 1990 that two films starring a married couple held the top spot at the box office. Sony’s Giannetti exclaimed over the weekend, “Blake, $5-million dollars!! Your blood, sweat, tears, brilliance, smarts, heart, and soul are evident in every single frame. My word. It’s incredible. Thank you 50 million times, and it’s only Saturday.

It’s not publicly disclosed exactly how much of Baldoni’s earnings were reinvested in Lively’s share, but his editors have reportedly mentioned that a significant portion may have been set aside, especially the segments that performed particularly well with our intended audience.

In just a few brief days, the remarkable achievement of “It Ends With Us” was overshadowed by news headlines as information surfaced about the Lively-Baldoni dispute. This was followed closely by the court case that ignited during the holiday season when Lively sued both Baldoni and Wayfarer, alleging she had taken the movie from Baldoni.

Justin Baldoni was content with claiming credit for Blake Lively’s editing work, but grew anxious when he suspected she might bring her allegations of sexual harassment into the limelight,” a representative for Lively stated upon filing the amended complaint on February 17th. “Baldoni, Heath, Sarowitz, and Wayfarer showed no qualms about benefiting financially from the film’s success at the box office. They seemed unashamed to enjoy a movie they now claim they had no control over during post-production. What the public didn’t realize was that it was actually Blake Lively who put in all the effort to edit the film.

Did THR consult with seasoned industry veterans on whether Sony’s current predicament was beneficial, considering potential future legal battles leading to a court trial in March 2026? The experts find it challenging to respond positively, as the escalating lawsuits may lead to their studio executives being summoned to testify.

In what they believed was their final brokerage role, Sony communicated to Baldoni that Team Lively wouldn’t permit him at the premiere. After negotiations, a settlement was reached, and he walked the red carpet before Lively made an appearance. It wasn’t a pleasant message for Sony to convey. Interestingly, or perhaps not, on the day of the movie’s release, Baldoni was questioned by a reporter about directing the adaptation of Hoover’s sequel It Starts With Us. He proposed that Lively might be the ideal candidate for the job.

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2025-02-25 17:57