New court documents are shining a light on what some Sony executives allegedly think of the ongoing It Ends With Us legal drama.
According to unsealed court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Wednesday, January 21, multiple Sony executives privately observed that the negative publicity around Blake Lively may have been the result of her own conduct.
Court documents allege that Sony President Sanford Panitch wrote in August 2024 that “the hair sell at the same time was epic level stupid,” referring to Lively’s Blake Brown line.
“She wouldn’t listen. She knows better,” Panitch allegedly continued. “She did it to herself. If she just let [Justin Baldoni] come to the premiere or didn’t make all the cast unfollow him or kick him off the movie and did what everyone ever has done in show business for time and memorial, which is protect ‘the show,’ then none of the sleuthing would have happened.”
In a separate note, Sony CEO Tom Rothman allegedly observed that although Lively, 38, didn’t “deserve” the backlash she was receiving on social media, “she did bring it all on herself by refusing to listen to advice … and by selling her products.”
Lively launched Blake Brown on Instagram while on the It Ends With Us press tour. Entertainment Weekly previously reported that the launch was never meant to coincide with the It Ends With Us premiere. The film, however, was delayed several months, just a few days shy of Lively’s planned hair-care debut.
In another note, Tahra Grant — the Executive VP and Chief Communications Officer at Sony — allegedly wrote in August 2024 that Lively “orchestrated all this drama in a totally unsavvy and amateur way (and basically threatened…Sony) and now is mad it backfired on her.”
Others at Sony, however, appeared to be impressed with Lively and the success of It Ends With Us.
In a deposition unsealed on Tuesday, January 20, Sony Motion Picture Group President Josh Greenstein said he believed the It Ends With Us edit Lively worked on was “a stronger cut.”
“All she cared about was greatness,” Greenstein allegedly said. “I was incredibly impressed that — especially seeing everything she was doing in terms of the cut of the film and the marketing of the film, that she — her creativity, she took a — like an OK campaign and elevated it.”
Court documents also revealed alleged text messages between Lively and Sony executive Ange Giannetti on August 11, 2024, days after the film was released.
“Blake 50m dollars!! Your blood sweat tears brilliant smarts heart and soul in every single frame,” Giannetti wrote when celebrating the box office numbers. “My God. It’s incredible. Thank you 50m times and it’s only Sat night.”
Lively starred alongside Baldoni, 41, in the 2024 movie It Ends With Us, based on author Colleen Hoover’s book of the same name.
Months after the film’s release, Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni — who also served as the director on the film — with the California Civil Rights Department. The Gossip Girl alum subsequently sued Baldoni over sexual harassment claims, which he has continued to deny.
Baldoni countersued Lively in late 2024, but his lawsuit was dismissed in June 2025. A civil trial is slated to start in May of this year.
Before a trial gets underway, unsealed evidence continues to surface, providing a glimpse into what allegedly went down behind the scenes of It Ends With Us.
According to separate court documents obtained by Us on Tuesday, Hoover, 46, sent an email to Sony on July 14, 2024, expressing hesitation in attending the It Ends With Us premiere.
Hoover allegedly said she was “used to being neutral” and doesn’t like “upsetting people or choosing sides.”
In her email to Sony, however, Hoover couldn’t promise to attend the premiere if Baldoni’s team was going to be present.
“I go back and forth every day between continuing to show up for this movie or going into hiding because it’s all causing me anxiety and bringing attention that I’m not prepared for/used to,” she allegedly wrote. “Of course in a perfect world we’d set it all aside and everyone could smile for the cameras, but feelings have been hurt and boundaries have been crossed. I can see where Blake is coming from if she chooses not to attend, because if I were in her shoes, I’m not so sure I would be able to stomach seeing someone else accept credit and accolades for what was also a huge massive effort on her part, and having to share what should be a celebratory moment with people you absolutely can’t celebrate with.”
On August 6, 2024, Lively, Hoover and Baldoni all attended the New York City premiere of It Ends With Us.
In response to the unsealed court documents, Sigrid McCawley — a member of Lively’s legal team — told Us in a statement that the evidence shows “the Sony/Lively cut was the one chosen for release and was an unprecedented success, earning over $80 million dollars in its opening weekend and over $351 million dollars in box office worldwide.”
“The evidence shows Ms. Lively worked closely with author Colleen Hoover on the cut. Sony supported this cut, Ms. Hoover expressed her preference for this cut, Wayfarer approved it and the book’s most devoted fans reacted to the Sony/Lively cut with enormous enthusiasm at Ms. Hoover’s charity event, Book Bonanza,” the statement continued. “The Sony/Lively cut went on to make Sony and Wayfarer hundreds of millions of dollars.”
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