The legal battle between Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us director and costar, Justin Baldoni, has now blown to epic proportions. What started as a typical power struggle on a movie set has now become the ultimate tug-of-war of power, credibility, and who controls the narrative. A lot has already happened in the case that is still waiting to go to trial, and people now have a pretty good idea of what is actually going on and whose story looks too far-fetched. But the public opinion was already formed since the whole thing surfaced.

A report reveals that the court of public opinion - the internet - had already ruled in favor of Justin Baldoni by a massive margin.

After the opening weekend, Sony, which was involved with the movie, It Ends With Us (ironically, where it all started), analyzed internet sentiment and discovered a startling discrepancy: 89% of social media discourse was in favor of Justin Baldoni, while only 4% was in favor of Blake Lively.

This is a landslide win in terms of public sentiment. It means that Baldoni is in control of the narrative by a mile. But the early judgment and dismissal of Lively’s side of things is not something unjustified or random. It stems from something she did while the promotional campaign for the movie was still underway.

While promoting the film, Lively put out a promotional video urging people to come out with their "friends in florals," trying to keep everything upbeat and chippy. However, this approach backfired simply owing to the heavy and serious tone of the movie surrounding its sensitive theme. On the other hand, Justin Baldoni’s serious marketing campaign, trying to capitalize on survivor stories, felt more emotional and touching, making his efforts movie-appropriate.

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While the early opinions about the feud are in Baldoni’s favor, it makes one wonder if it also reflects on the ongoing legal battle.

Up until January, Blake Lively was leading in the legal war, racking up more wins and having Justin Baldoni’s major $400 defamation cross-suit tossed out. But the winds on the case shifted in April 2026 when the judge dismissed all but three of Lively’s allegations against Baldoni, leaving her only with complaints of breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation.

While the case has taken a wild turn for Blake Lively, it is still far from over, as there is still a trial to be fought, which starts May 18, 2026. With public support with Justin Baldoni, it will be intriguing to see if that translates into the court as well, where sentiments seldom play a role. No matter what the result may be, they both are in for a tough time ahead.

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What do you think of the public opinion about the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni legal drama? Share your thoughts.