Sony CEO Said Blake Lively ‘Brought It on Herself’ as Legal Battle With Baldoni Deepened

Unsealed court records have widened the It Ends With Us fight far beyond a clash between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The filings reveal how senior figures inside Sony Pictures privately assessed Lively, weighed damage control, and debated whether she had pushed the studio too far. What emerges is a portrait of a production consumed by control battles, reputational fear, and blunt internal judgments that never reached the public until now.

What The Unsealed Records Show Inside Sony

Court exhibits and sworn testimony place Sony executives squarely in the middle of the fallout. Messages entered into the record show senior staff repeatedly blaming Blake Lively for the negative press cycle that followed the film’s release.

On August 11, 2024, Sony’s executive vice president and chief communications officer, Tahra Grant, wrote that Lively had orchestrated the drama in an unsavvy way and “basically threatened Sony”. Days later, Sony CEO Tom Rothman acknowledged the backlash went too far but added that Lively “did bring it all on herself” by ignoring advice and selling products alongside a film about domestic violence.

Sony motion picture group president Sanford Panitch was harsher. His messages faulted Lively for barring Baldoni from the premiere, pushing cast members to unfollow him, and failing to protect the film. He criticised her product launches, argued she should have apologised to a reporter and survivors, and concluded more than once that she “did it to herself.”

Depositions confirm that a Sony executive used extreme language in private, including calling Lively a “terrorist.” Other messages commented on her appearance, her clothing on camera, and her weight loss, all of which now sit in the public court file. None of these statements reflects court findings. They show how Sony spoke internally as pressure mounted.

How Control Shifted Behind The Scenes

The documents also trace how influence moved during production and release. Records show Lively communicated with Sony executives repeatedly during key periods, sometimes several times a day, as edits, credits, and messaging stayed in flux.

Messages indicate that author Colleen Hoover aligned with Lively in backing her preferred cut of the film, even after test numbers came in lower. Sony ultimately accepted that version. Panitch reacted with disbelief that the studio had caved on producer credit and other concessions.

As tensions grew, Ryan Reynolds pressed talent agency WME to push Sony and Wayfarer toward issuing statements that supported or apologised to Lively. Internal exchanges discuss coordinating public responses and managing cast commentary.

Sony’s internal summaries of on-set problems cite Baldoni’s sensitivity and inexperience. The records do not frame those issues as sexual harassment complaints at the time. By the end of August, Panitch wrote that Lively was “done,” at least for a while, despite the film’s box office success.

Opinion: Why This Looks Like Leverage, Not Silence

Read together, the filings point to a struggle over control of the film rather than a sudden moral reckoning. Blake Lively entered the project with star power and loyal allies. Sony entered with millions invested and a release schedule it needed to protect. Once the relationship broke down, both sides pushed to shape outcomes in their favour.

That context makes the public use of abuse language sit awkwardly beside a record filled with strategy, negotiation and pressure. Studios rarely surrender edits, credits and messaging they believe are wrong unless reputational risk becomes the greater threat. The emails suggest Sony felt boxed in, not persuaded.

One question remains unanswered. Despite the language used about her, Lively has not sued Sony. The executives who criticised her most are not named in her legal action, and that absence is striking.

The case remains unresolved, and the court will determine what qualifies as misconduct.