Blake Lively Exits Hosting SNL Premiere Due to Costar Drama

Blake Lively Drops SNL Hosting Gig Amid It Ends With Us Controversy

Blake Lively was set to host the highly anticipated season 50 premiere of Saturday Night Live in September, but recent developments related to the release of It Ends With Us forced her to withdraw. According to a lawsuit filed on December 20, Lively’s legal team claimed that tensions arising from her collaboration with co-star and director Justin Baldoni prompted her decision to step away from the spotlight.

Lively’s lawyers allege that she faced significant professional repercussions from what they described as a smear campaign against her. The lawsuit emphasizes the impact on Lively’s career, stating that she felt she could not participate in any public events without addressing the controversies that occurred on set. This included canceling a crucial corporate event for her hair care line, Blake Brown Beauty, and ultimately bowing out of the SNL hosting opportunity, which was later taken over by Jean Smart.

In the lawsuit, which has drawn attention due to its serious allegations, Lively, 37, has accused Baldoni, 40, of sexual harassment. The legal filing asserts that after confronting Baldoni over “repeated sexual harassment and other unsettling conduct,” a coordinated effort emerged to damage her reputation during the film’s promotional period. Lively’s suit claims that this malicious campaign severely affected her personal and professional life, including her relationships with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their four children.

Specific to the harassment allegations, the lawsuit details instances where Lively felt compelled to ask Baldoni to refrain from sharing inappropriate content and discussing topics that made her uncomfortable, including his past with pornography and explicit topics related to the cast. Additionally, she requested that certain intimate scenes not be added to the film adaptation, which emphasizes serious issues of domestic abuse.

The drama surrounding It Ends With Us doesn’t appear to be confined to on-set scenarios. The film, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, premiered in August 2024, but it seems as though the off-camera intrigues have garnered as much interest as the movie itself.

In a statement regarding her lawsuit, Lively expressed hope that her actions would shed light on harmful tactics used against individuals who speak out against misconduct and provide protection for others from similar treatment. Conversely, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has categorically denied the allegations, characterizing them as “completely false and outrageous.” He suggested that the lawsuit was an attempt by Lively to rehabilitate her public image while creating a negative narrative around the film production.

As this situation continues to unfold, the public awaits more developments in what has become a headline-grabbing controversy involving two prominent figures in Hollywood.