Companies were afraid to work with Blake Lively amid Justin Baldoni lawsuit

Newly uncovered documents from Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's now-settled legal dispute show that major retailers grew wary of working with the actress during the fallout from their It Ends With Us controversy, with her alcohol brand Betty Booze caught in the crossfire.

Legal documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, 5 May, include internal emails and texts that reveal how companies reacted to the negative press surrounding Lively, 38, following the film's December 2024 release. 

TMZ first reported the documents.

A September 2024 internal email between Betty Booze staff members described a conversation with a representative from Kroger, which stocks the brand. 

"I just got off the phone with the SGWS Kroger VP, and the first thing he mentioned to me was that Betty Booze was just discussed … there is a negative taste in Kroger's mouth based on the [Blake Lively] interview from the movie, and they said they will be closely monitoring sales on the brand," the email read. 

The supermarket chain was reportedly expecting a negative sales impact and wanted to know what Lively would be doing "to course correct and make things right with her audience."

Princess Cruises, another Betty Booze stockist, also expressed concern.

In a text attributed to the VP of Food and Beverage at the company, the message read: "By the way our legal ethics and compliance committee board spooked with Blake !!! I am working things out hopefully will not have any affect."

The documents further alleged that Betty Booze was "forced to go dark" as a result of the headlines, affecting sales, and that Instagram follower growth was "held back by negative PR" as social media engagement shifted from positive to negative.

The documents formed part of Lively's evidence against Baldoni, whom she accused of orchestrating a deliberate smear campaign against her, in addition to sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment during the making of the film. Baldoni, 42, denied all allegations and filed a countersuit that was ultimately unsuccessful.

The two sides confirmed on Monday, 4 May, just two weeks before their scheduled trial date, that a settlement had been reached. 

In a joint statement, they acknowledged that "the process presented challenges" and that "concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard," while expressing shared pride in the film's impact on domestic violence awareness.