Justin Baldoni files $400 million lawsuit on Blake Lively

The world of Hollywood does not rest. Just this past week, more developments have unfolded in the Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively beef-turned-legal-battle (it certainly is not ending anytime soon) and shocking sexual assault allegations have come out against author Neil Gaiman. Ahead, find the latest updates on the biggest pop culture news.

[Trigger warning: this article contains mentions of sexual assault, sexual abuse, non-consensual sexual activities, vomiting, defecation, and BDSM relationships. Reader’s discretion is advised.]

Justin Baldoni files a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

In the latest update of the ongoing feud between the It Ends With Us co-stars that deserve its own film adaptation, Justin Baldoni has filed a lawsuit against Blake Lively on the grounds of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy, claiming $400 million in damages. The lawsuit also includes Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, and her PR firm Vision PR. 

This countersuit comes after Lively’s December 2024 complaint where the actress alleged sexual harassment during the filming of It Ends With Us, claiming instances where Baldoni (who was the director and male protagonist) pressured her to be fully nude in a birth scene without prior discussion or the presence of an intimacy coordinator. 

Other claims include walking into her trailer while she was undressed and acting out kissing scenes without explicit consent. All of this came to a head when The New York Times published an exposé with screenshots of messages and emails, detailing an alleged smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni and his team to turn public opinion against Lively once the press tour began.

In response, Baldoni’s attorney denied the claims, accusing Lively’s team of doctoring evidence and mischaracterising events. The 176-page countersuit by Baldoni alleges that Lively and Reynolds used their star power and connections to “hijack” the film and sought to “destroy” his reputation.

Details include Lively supposedly summoning Baldoni to her New York apartment to discuss her rewrite of a scene with Reynolds and Taylor Swift present to “pressure” him, Lively equating herself to Khaleesi from Game of Thrones and calling Reynolds and Swift her “dragons”, locking him and his editors out of the editing process while she worked on her cut of the movie, and placing him and his entourage in a basement during the film’s premiere.

In light of Baldoni’s lawsuit, Lively’s legal team has released a statement. “This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim…This is what experts call DARVO. Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim Offender.” Stay tuned for more updates on this ongoing saga.

Justin Bieber goes on an Instagram unfollow spree, raising eyebrows

Speaking of celebrity feuds, Justin Bieber’s recent unfollow spree on Instagram did not go unnoticed by his fans. On 18 January, Beliebers saw that the singer unfollowed and blocked several celebrities and close friends. This included his mentor Usher, former manager Scooter Braun, former long-time bodyguard Kenny Hamilton, songwriter and producer Poo Bear, Ryan Good, and even his father-in-law Stephen Baldwin.

However, Bieber is still following his former mentor Sean “P Diddy” Combs, who is currently behind bars and awaiting trial after being arrested on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in September 2024. The ‘Boyfriend’ singer was known to have a close relationship with the rap mogul, spending a lot of time with Combs during his adolescent years. Does this mean anything? Only time will tell.

Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, and more to headline FireAid Benefit Concert 

The Los Angeles fires that swept the state are regarded as the most destructive in California history and have displaced over 80,000 residents, killed at least 27 people, and destroyed over 60 square miles, according to CBSNews. Billie Eilish and Finnneas, Lady Gaga, Gracie Abrams, and more are coming together to support the wildfire victims at the FireAid Benefit Concert.

FireAid will have a star-studded lineup that will also include Stevie Nicks, Green Day, Katy Perry, P!nk, Tate McRae, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, John Mayer, Lil Baby, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sting, and Rod Dave Matthews. Additional acts and special guests will be announced in the coming days. The benefit will air on major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and Apple TV on 30 January. 

Daredevil makes a gritty return to the small screen

It was an exciting day for Marvel fans on 15 January as the official trailer for Daredevil: Born Again was released. The series follows the comic-favourite character Matt Murdock as he overcomes the challenges of being blind since childhood and fights criminals as a lawyer and the masked vigilante, Daredevil. Fans were even more excited about this news as the original cast from the Netflix series will return after seven years since the last season. Daredevil: Born Again premieres on 4 March exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar.

Neil Gaiman faced with multiple sexual assault claims

This week, Neil Gaiman found himself in treacherous waters after multiple women accused The Sandman and Coraline author of sexual assault. In the bombshell Vulture cover story, eight women detailed their disturbing experiences with the fantasy writer.

One of the women featured prominently in the article is Scarlett Pavlovich, a drama student who worked as a babysitter for his five-year-old son. Pavlovich, who was 24 while Gaiman was 61, recalled the first time she met the author. After asking her to try out the garden bathtub, he joined her fully naked, asked her to sit in his lap and sexually assaulted her. 

According to Pavlovich, he would also demand that she refer to him as “Master” and would often perform anal sex on her without lubrication despite her explicit refusal. On other occasions, she recalled having to eat her own vomit and faecal matter. On 14 January, Gaiman responded to these allegations on his website, stating that he “never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone.” 

“Some of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality,” he added. “I am prepared to take responsibility for any missteps I made. I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I can’t accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not admit to doing things I didn’t do.” Stay tuned for more updates.

Tom Holland and Zendaya are engaged!

The sweet couple have taken their relationship to the next level! On 6 January, it was revealed that Tom Holland had proposed to Zendaya sometime between Christmas and New Year’s at her family home, according to TMZ who was the first to break the news. While the couple has not explicitly posted about the engagement, Holland’s father confirmed the news in a recent blog post on his Patreon account, sharing that the Spider-Man actor was “incredibly well prepared.”

Zendaya was also seen with her engagement ring at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, flashing the sparkly east-west cut on the red carpet. The pair, both aged 28, first met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming and began dating in 2021. Congratulations to the couple! 

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