Blake Lively Was Called a 'F---ing Terrorist' by Sony Executive During “It Ends With Us ”Production
- - Blake Lively Was Called a 'F---ing Terrorist' by Sony Executive During “It Ends With Us ”Production
Elizabeth RosnerJanuary 21, 2026 at 7:09 AM
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Blake Lively on Aug. 8, 2024 -
A Sony Pictures executive admitted in a deposition to calling Blake Lively a “f---ing terrorist”
The remark came after Lively’s threat to quit It Ends With Us, according to testimony
The case is heading toward a key hearing in her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni
A Sony Pictures executive referred to Blake Lively as a “f---ing terrorist” amid behind-the-scenes tensions on It Ends With Us, after the star threatened to quit the film unless her concerns were addressed, according to testimony.
The remarks came from Andrea Giannetti, an executive vice president of production and senior creative at Sony Pictures, during her deposition related to Lively’s ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.
Giannetti's testimony was unsealed on Tuesday, Jan. 20, before a summary judgment hearing in Lively’s ongoing lawsuit against Baldoni, 41, that is scheduled for Jan 22.
In the Sept. 23 deposition, Giannetti confirmed that she made the comment to producer Jamey Heath after learning Lively had threatened to walk away from the movie unless a list of requested changes — referred to as a “17-point list” — was signed without revision.
When asked directly whether she recalled telling Heath that she thought Lively, 38, was “a f---ing terrorist,” Giannetti responded, “Yes.”
Giannetti testified that at the time Sony had already invested roughly $28 million into the project and was facing the possibility that the film would be unreleasable if production did not continue.
Mike Marsland/WireImage; James Devaney/GC Images
Blake Lively; Justin Baldoni
“There was a tremendous amount of money that had been invested and spent, and we had to finish the movie or it was unreleasable,” she said.
Giannetti also testified that she did not recall Lively telling her that Baldoni or fellow producer Heath had done anything specific on set in mid-May 2024 that made her feel uncomfortable. However, she acknowledged her understanding that Lively had threatened to leave the project if her concerns were not resolved.
Despite the internal tensions, Giannetti later sent Lively a glowing text message after the film’s August 2024 release, praising her contribution to the project.
“Blake, $50 million!! Your blood, sweat, tears, brilliant smarts, heart and soul in every single frame,” Giannetti wrote in an Aug. 11, 2024 message that was entered into evidence. “My God, it’s incredible. Thank you 50 million times. And it’s only Saturday night.”
During her testimony, Giannetti confirmed that the message referred to the film’s box office success, which she described as “gigantic” and historically strong for its genre and budget size. She estimated that It Ends With Us had earned close to $350 million worldwide.
Additional materials unsealed in the case also include statements from actress Jenny Slate, who described the shoot as “disturbing” and said she was “one of many” who felt that way.
In a message included in the filings, Slate said that she and Lively had both complained directly to Giannetti, adding that Sony “agree[d] with us.”
Slate also criticized Baldoni, writing that he was “truly a false ally” and that she was unwilling to do anything that would promote “the image that he’s crafting as a ‘male feminist.’” Slate added, “I honestly have never ever encountered anything like this dude."
Attorney Sigrid McCawley, a member of Lively’s legal team, said in a Jan. 20 statement, “As we head to trial, only Ms. Lively’s claims against the defendants remain. The Court dismissed Wayfarer's retaliatory countersuit in its entirety last June."
"The newly unsealed evidence contains never-before seen testimony, messages and evidence from numerous eyewitnesses backing the claims in Ms. Lively’s lawsuit," says McCawley. "The evidence includes Ms. Lively’s own testimony describing the harassment she faced, as well as new evidence from numerous women describing their own disturbing experiences. The newly unsealed evidence shows the concerns of Ms. Lively and others were documented in real-time as early as Spring 2023, and Wayfarer understood them as 'sexual harassment' concerns. The evidence also documents how Wayfarer refused to investigate, but instead attempted to 'bury' Ms. Lively and others who spoke up through retaliation."
A judge is expected to hear arguments on whether some or all of Lively’s claims will proceed to trial, which is currently scheduled for May 2026.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
