Blake Lively says makers ‘resented’ her for taking ‘control of movies’ in resurfaced video

In a past interview, Blake Lively admitted her creative involvement in films has led to tensions with producers.

Amid her It Ends With Us feud with actor-director Justin Baldoni and ongoing lawsuits from both sides, a resurfaced video shows Blake Lively admitting to taking creative control over her films. In the clip, shared by TikToker stephwithdadeets, Lively reveals that her involvement in the filmmaking process has sometimes led to tension with producers.

This combination of images shows Blake Lively at the London screening of the film It Ends With Us and Justin Baldoni at the world premiere of the film in New York.(AP)

Blake Lively’s past comments on taking over films resurface

The Gossip Girl star was at the Forbes Power Women's Summit in 2022 where she shared that some industry professionals “resented” hiring her simply as an actress when she asserted herself creatively. She explained that, early in her career, she would keep her creative ambitions hidden during meetings to secure roles.

However, she later felt the need to advocate for her vision, acknowledging that it could sometimes create friction. “I went into meetings, I would just seem like I’m just there to be the actor and ready to get the gig,” she said. “I wouldn’t reveal that I actually need to have authorship in order to feel fulfilled. So I think that for them, sometimes that might have felt like a rug pulled because you’re like, you’re trying to assert yourself into something that we didn’t hire you to do,” Lively reportedly said during the interview.

She explained that it's crucial to assert her vision while also recognising when to take a step back. “It’s just as important to say, ‘OK, um, I believe in this and that’s why I’m standing up for it and that’s why I’m not being difficult,” she continued. “And then there are other moments to go, ‘Am I the a–hole in the room?’”

“It’s about being up front about knowing what you actually need versus just, like, trying to get the job and then, you know, once you’re in it, sort of revealing the scope of your, sort of um, your needs to be, you know, fulfilled,” she continued.

The Justin Baldoni lawsuit: What’s going on?

Tensions between Lively and Baldoni have been making headlines since December 2024, when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni. Her claims include:

Allegations that Baldoni created a “hostile work environment” that nearly derailed the production of It Ends With Us.

Accusations that Baldoni organised a “smear campaign” against her.

Claims that he improvised intimate scenes and body-shamed her on set.

In response, Baldoni has denied all allegations, with his lawyer calling them “categorically false.” In January 2025, Baldoni retaliated with a lawsuit of his own, suing Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane. He is seeking $400 million in damages, claiming:

Lively and her team “deliberately and systematically robbed” him and Wayfarer Studios of It Ends With Us.

He lost creative control over the film due to their interference.