Opinion

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni and the end of the world

At this point, the duo appear to be caught in a death grip, a pact of mutual destruction in which neither party can claim victory. As a study of how not to be a modern celebrity, it’s a cautionary tale.

Jo Ellison

Updated Feb 23, 2025 – 9.57am, first published at 9.55am

Email LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

In the long-running mud-slinging spectacle that is Blake Lively versus Justin Baldoni, Lively made a rare public appearance as a guest on the entertainment juggernaut Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary show two weeks ago. She turned up with husband Ryan Reynolds, the suave Canadian actor best known for his role in Deadpool and for his co-ownership of Wrexham AFC.

He made a joke, apparently about his wife’s lawsuit against Baldoni, in which she has accused her It Ends with Us co-star of sexual harassment and an attempt to mount a smear campaign. The moment provoked outrage: Baldoni’s lawyer pronounced that “I’m unaware of anybody frankly whose wife has been sexually harassed and has made jokes about that type of situation”. The outing was deemed a misstep by the court of social media. The scorecard shifted once again.