Nick Viall is weighing in on Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s ongoing lawsuit saga, sharing his own opinion of the It Ends With Us director.
The Bachelor star told Bustle in a profile published on Thursday, January 16, he “wasn’t that surprised” the cast of It Ends With Us distanced themselves from Baldoni, 40, as legal issues between him and Lively, 37, arose.
“I had the chance to interview Justin a couple of years ago on my show, and I just had a feeling he wasn’t the person he so loudly portrayed himself to be,” Viall, 44, told Bustle. “When the story broke that the entire cast and author of the book [the movie is based on] had clearly distanced themselves from him, I wasn’t that surprised. However, I was surprised how quickly the internet seemed to start trying to find reasons to discredit Blake by bringing up old interviews and past alleged mistakes.”
He added: “I think the internet has made it easier for people to share other people’s opinions rather than come up with their own. This story just kind of reinforced that.”
Viall interviewed Baldoni for his podcast “The Viall Files” in January 2023. As rumors of bad blood between Lively and Baldoni swirled in August 2024, Viall questioned why Baldoni hired PR crisis manager, Melissa Nathan, who previously represented Johnny Depp during his legal battle with Amber Heard.
“This PR team eviscerated Amber Heard online,” Viall said via his podcast at the time. “It was, like, an all-out assault on her character.”
In the interview with Bustle, Viall alluded to his previous comments on the Baldoni/Lively feud and said he was just “sharing his opinion.”
“When I shared my opinion on this topic, I didn’t see it as speaking out as much; it was me sharing my opinion and challenging my audience to ask themselves different questions,” he explained.
Rumors of a rift between Baldoni and Lively first arose in August 2024 during the promotional trail for It Ends With Us when the pair, who were both the lead actors in the film, did not do press together.
In December 2024, Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment. (Baldoni denied all allegations against him made in the lawsuit, which was obtained by Us Weekly.)
It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover described Lively as “honest” and “brave” via her Instagram the same day the lawsuit was reported.
Days later, Baldoni was among 10 plaintiffs who launched a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for its coverage of Lively’s accusations. (A spokesperson for The New York Times told Us that the outlet is planning to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”)
Lively filed a lawsuit that same day against Baldoni in a New York federal court which mirrored her earlier claims — which were filed with the California Civil Rights Department.
Baldoni’s studio filed a new lawsuit on Thursday against Lively, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, seeking damages of $400 million. The lawsuit includes accusations of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and other claims.
