Justin Baldoni’s religious beliefs allegedly played a role in his It Ends With Us set drama with Blake Lively.
The initial December 2024 lawsuit filed by Lively, 37, noted that she felt “alarmed” when she learned the actor cast as the doctor during her character’s birth scene, Adam Mondschein, was Baldoni’s “best friend.” The Hollywood Reporter’s Friday, February 21, feature claims that she was also distressed because Monschein is a member of the Baha’i community. According to his IMDb page, one of Mondschein’s biggest credits prior to It Ends With Us was the 2018 documentary The Gate: Dawn of the Baha’i Faith, which tells the origin story of the religion.
According to THR, Baldoni’s parents both converted to Baha’i — which focuses on the unity of humanity and elimination of prejudices — before he was born. Lively’s December 2024 sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni does not mention the religion by name.
A source who worked on Baldoni’s 2019 film Five Feet Apart told THR that the director “talk[ed] about his religion a lot” on the set of the romantic drama. “This had shades of Scientology but with less of the prominence and people hovering at all times,” the unnamed insider added. However, a separate source claimed that the influence of Baldoni’s religion during production had the opposite effect.
“I’ve never worked with a male director who was so worried about everyone’s emotional and mental well-being,” the second source shared with the outlet. “There was an openness and emotionality to his style that was more typical of a woman, and it probably wouldn’t be an issue if it was a [female director] because of the preconceived notions of gender.”
Additional sources told THR that because of Baldoni’s dual role as the director and male lead of It Ends With Us, the influence of Baha’i was more pronounced. He allegedly led crew members in prayer on the first day of production and would “ask God for guidance” before making creative decisions. There was reportedly lots of physical contact between crew members as well.
“The faith’s principles and ideas are interpreted and accepted in a variety of cultural contexts,” Zackery Heern, a Baha’i history professor with a focus on religion at Idaho State University, told THR. “In France, followers might be more inclined to hug. In Saudi Arabia, less so.”
Heern went on to address Blake’s December 2024 lawsuit, specifically her allegation that Baldoni claimed he could communicate with her dead father, Ernie. According to the professor, it is “not encouraged” in Baha’i to speak with the dead. “It’s a bit fringe for Baha’i,” he stated.
Us Weekly has reached out to Baldoni and Lively’s reps for comment.
Several of the report’s claims connect to the allegations Lively has made against Baldoni amid the pair’s legal battle. She accused Baldoni of “constantly hugging and touching cast and crew” in her initial December 2024 lawsuit, adding that he would become “irritated, cold and uncollaborative” if his advances were rejected, adding to the set’s hostile work environment.
Baldoni, for his part, refuted Lively’s allegations in his $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times as well as a $400 million lawsuit against the actress, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist, Leslie Sloane. Among his many claims, Baldoni denied Blake’s accusations that he tried to ruin her reputation, arguing that she instead attempted to take over creative control of It Ends With Us despite his role as director.
Both sides and their legal teams have vehemently denied the other side’s accusations. An official trial date has been set for March 9, 2026.
Blake and Reynolds, 48, have since filed a legal action to dismiss Baldoni’s lawsuit against them. Additionally, Us confirmed on Thursday, February 20, that Blake requested a protective order amid her and Baldoni’s legal battle, claiming she has received “violent, profane, sexist and threatening communications” and is seeking “additional protections.”
