Brandon Sklenar Gets Roped Into ‘It Ends With Us’ Legal Drama

Brandon Sklenar is speaking out about the ongoing legal battle between his "It Ends With Us" co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

The film, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, has been overshadowed by controversy since December 2024, when Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni, who also directed the movie. She accused him of misconduct during production and claimed that he and his associates orchestrated a smear campaign to "destroy" her reputation.

Baldoni has denied the allegations and, in January 2025, filed a countersuit against Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane’s PR firm, alleging civil extortion and defamation.

Brandon Sklenar, who starred alongside Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in "It Ends With Us," is now weighing in on the legal drama.

During a February 17 appearance on "CBS Mornings," Sklenar joined Gayle King to discuss the upcoming second season of 1923, the "Yellowstone" prequel. However, the conversation quickly turned to the legal drama surrounding "It Ends With Us."

King initially asked Sklenar how he was navigating the tension between Lively and Baldoni as their co-star, to which he said, "I just want people to remember why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for, and just keeping the focus on that."

The actor went on to explain that the film holds deep personal significance for him.

"I have someone very close to me who's gone through what [Lively's character, Lily, is] going through for a long time, and I've been on the front lines helping her navigate that space," he revealed. "So that movie meant a lot to me, and it means a lot to her."

He added that his role in the film played a part in inspiring real-life change.

"It was one of the reasons that me doing that movie gave her the strength to change her life," he said. "It's unfortunate that things get taken away from what the ethos of that thing is, and it gets convoluted."

And, of course, King didn’t hesitate to ask the burning question, "Are you Team Blake or Team Justin?"

Sklenar laughed at the bold question before carefully responding, "I'm Team 'It Ends With Us.'"

Beyond his neutral stance on the legal battle, Sklenar has openly supported the women involved in "It Ends With Us," including Lively, Isabela Ferrer, Jenny Slate, and Colleen Hoover, the book’s author.

Back in August 2024, Sklenar took to Instagram to address the backlash the film was receiving, emphasizing that it was counterproductive to vilify the women who poured their hearts into the project.

"Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about," he wrote.

He continued, "What may or may not have happened behind the scenes does not and hopefully should not detract from what our intentions were in making this film. It's been disheartening to see the amount of negativity being projected online."

At the time, Sklenar emphasized that the film is meant to be a source of courage and awareness for those affected by similar struggles.

What was once a highly anticipated adaptation of Hoover’s novel has now turned into a legal showdown between Lively and Baldoni.

According to Baldoni’s lawyers, the actors initially shared a friendly and professional dynamic on set, often engaging in what they described as “friendly banter” that suggested a seamless working relationship.

However, as the lawsuits unfolded, that initial rapport gave way to one of Hollywood’s most high-profile legal disputes.

One of the biggest revelations in the ongoing battle came earlier this month when Baldoni’s team launched a website containing two legal documents related to the dispute.

Among the documents is an amendment claiming that The New York Times had access to Lively’s lawsuit at least 11 days before publishing their report. However, the newspaper quickly refuted the claim, stating that the filings were "rife with inaccuracies."

The case is set to go to trial in March 2026.