The legal feud between actress Blake Lively and actor-director Justin Baldoni has captured renewed attention following a public remark by British-Iranian actor and comedian Omid Djalili. On July 21, 2025, in a tweet that became viral, Djalili wrote:“It’s time to speak out. I don’t usually in such cases apart from the odd joke here and there. But the Baldoni/Lively case has taken a very dark turn. It is def not Amber v Johnny and never was. It now involves us all and is way more serious than gossip columnists would have you believe.“He further mentioned:“Blake Lively seems to be her own worst enemy. This is a strategy that can only blow up in her own face. Ryan too. Believe it or not I like these two. Or did. But this behaviour has shown us who they are.“The statement fueled a debate in the social media space regarding the litigation, which started in late 2024 and concerns claims of serious misconduct, professional retaliation, and defamation.Djalili aims at Blake Lively’s strategy in the ongoing legal battleOmid Djalili’s recent remarks on the heated legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni after It Ends With Us hinted at a great level of disapproval towards how Lively was handling it.Djalili indicated that the controversy started when the film had a tone deaf marketing campaign where Lively would promote her brands of alcohol with a film focused on domestic violence.The marketing campaign by Reynolds' own company, Maximum Effort, generated immense backlash due to the well-documented correlation between alcohol use and intimate partner violence.He claimed this deflection was amplified to new levels when she publicly accused co-star and director Justin Baldoni of serious misconduct. According to the British-Iranian actor, this was an attempt to restore her public image by redirecting scrutiny.Djalili continued by noting that Baldoni presented a legal team with counter-evidence to challenge the allegations. Also, the figure Lively claimed to have organized the smear—the crisis PR consultant named Jed Wallace—was subsequently removed as a defendant in the case.In his opinion, her present policy was against her self-interest. He appeared to think that her legal and public messaging decisions were escalating the backlash and crafting a harsh reality that might prove more damaging to her than the conflict itself.Djalili frames Blake Lively’s lawsuits as a misuse of influence and powerDjalili was most concerned by the fact that Lively issued the legal summonses to more than 30 online creators and social media users, some of whom only have 38 followers.This action stemmed from the backlash over the marketing of It Ends With Us. Djalili saw the move as part of a broader strategy to silence criticism by targeting even the smallest voices online.According to him, the resort to legal threats against small-scale commentators was not only disproportionate but also a severe attack on the freedom of expression and open discourse."This has massive implications on free speech attempting to stifle and chill voices who are simply interested in the case and commenting on it. These people are now being dragged into federal court," the actor wrote.Concluding the matter, Djalili shared his disappointment in Lively and Reynolds. He cautioned that their more confrontational methods could prove counter-productive and nothing more than damaging their images. Throwback to the initial lawsuitsIn December 2024, Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni, claiming sexual harassment and workplace retaliation on the sets of It Ends With Us, an adaptation of a novel by Colleen Hoover. She shared the claim in a widely circulated New York Times article.Baldoni responded with lawsuits of his own: against The New York Times in a suit seeking $250 million, and another $400 million against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, along with their publicist.Blake Lively at the "It Ends With Us" - UK Gala Screening (Image via Getty)However, a federal judge dismissed both of Baldoni's counterclaims in June 2025, ruling that Lively’s claims were legally protected and immune from defamation liability.A federal judge has set the trial of the lawsuit between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni to commence on March 9, 2026, at the Southern District Court in New York.