The fight between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has turned into one of Hollywood’s wildest dramas. From lawsuits, ugly accusations, to ‘strained’ big-name friendships, and now, out of nowhere, the gay hockey series ‘Heated Rivalry’ is getting dragged into court.So what’s really going on?
Where it all started: Blake Lively’s lawsuit
Back in December 2024, Blake Lively took her director and co-star, Justin Baldoni, to court over what she calls a toxic set on ‘It Ends With Us.’ She says Baldoni crossed the line with unwanted touching during intimate scenes and then tried to trash her reputation when she spoke up. She’s suing him and his company, Wayfarer Studios, for over $160 million, saying the harassment and emotional wreckage were massive.
What followed: Justin Baldoni hits back
Baldoni didn’t just deny everything; he fired back with his own lawsuit. He wanted $400 million from Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist, claiming they defamed him and messed with his career. That countersuit didn’t last long. A federal judge tossed it out in 2025, saying Lively’s comments weren’t defamatory and were legally protected. But Baldoni’s not done. In January 2026, his lawyers asked the judge to throw out Lively’s main lawsuit, arguing that what happened on set doesn’t count as harassment under the law. They said improv and unscripted moments are just part of making movies.
Why and how is ‘Heated Rivalry’ associated?
Here’s where things get weird. In court, Baldoni’s lawyer brought up ‘Heated Rivalry,’ a hit gay hockey drama. The point? To argue that improvised, unscripted intimacy between actors isn’t automatically harassment. Lots of shows, like ‘Heated Rivalry,’ have intense, spontaneous scenes, and nobody calls that harassment, right? That argument got people talking. Using a totally unrelated queer romance to defend the way things went down on a straight drama set felt like a stretch. Lively’s side fired back, saying the real issue is consent and boundaries, not what happens on some other show.
Texts, celeb drama, and the spotlight: What else is happening
The case has also pulled in some big names. Court filings revealed texts between Lively and Taylor Swift, showing Swift backing up her friend. Now even Swift’s getting headlines over this mess. The whole thing has become a public circus, as the fans, the media, and the industry are all watching like hawks. It’s not just about who did what anymore—it’s about power, consent, and how Hollywood handles these fights in the spotlight.
What’s next?
The trial’s on the calendar for May 18, 2026. Judge Lewis J. Liman will call the shots in Manhattan. While Baldoni’s team is still trying to get the case thrown out, Lively’s lawyers say the jury needs to hear everything, especially about consent, retaliation, and what it really means to have a hostile work environment.
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