Justin Baldoni shows family ‘being held’ in basement at ‘It Ends With Us’ premiere
Justin Baldoni gave a behind-the-scenes look at his experience during the “It Ends With Us” premiere — basement and all.
The actor claimed in his $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively on Thursday that he and his loved ones were “held” in a room during the August 2024 event in New York.
The director, 40, shared a photo of himself posing with his family and friends in a windowless basement.
Pallets of Dasani water could be seen in the background, which Baldoni and his pals jokingly posed in front of for another snap.
In his legal filing, the “Jane the Virgin” alum alleged that he was “ushered” into the space when Lively, 37, arrived with her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
Baldoni, notably, sparked feud speculation after the premiere for not taking any photos with the actress or their other co-stars.
In order to “avoid even a chance of interaction with Lively or her guests,” he claimed to have been “confined to a makeshift holding area surrounded by concession stand stock, with only fold-out tables and chairs arranged in a square.”
The suit read, “Surrounded by close friends, family, soda bottles, and a lot of love, the irony of being held in a basement on what was arguably one of the most important nights of Baldoni’s career thus far, was not lost on anyone.”
Elsewhere, the “Man Enough” podcast co-host claimed to have organized a separate after-party since he was allegedly excluded from the “official celebrity” one.
Baldoni claimed that his production company, Wayfarer Studios, was “forc[ed] to cover the costs for two events — one for Lively and everyone else, and one for Baldoni and Wayfarer’s own friends, family, crew, and team.”
Lively, who is being sued alongside Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane, slammed Baldoni’s lawsuit on Thursday, calling it “another chapter in the abuser playbook” via her attorneys.
“This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender,” the statement read.
The “Gossip Girl” alum, for her part, filed a complaint against Baldoni in December 2024 and a lawsuit weeks later accusing him of sexual harassment, as well as a social media smear campaign.
Earlier this month, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, promised NBC News that his client would “absolutely” sue Lively.
At that point, Baldoni had only sued the New York Times for $250 million over their coverage of Lively’s complaint — which the outlet stood by as “meticulous.”
He addressed the premiere in the libel suit, claiming Lively “initially refused to permit his attendance” at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater.
“Only after significant pressure did she reluctantly agree to allow Baldoni and the Wayfarer team to attend, but under humiliating conditions,” the court docs read, referencing the “makeshift holding area in the basement.”
Bethenny Frankel revealed in a TikTok last week that she saw Baldoni in a separate theater while attending the premiere — and leaving early over bad “vibes.”
