At a Glance
- Sony executive Sanford Panitch wrote Blake Lively would “never work again” after the It Ends With Us backlash
- Internal emails called her haircare launch during the controversy “epic-level stupid”
- Despite private attacks, Sony publicly praised Lively’s “passion and commitment”
- Why it matters: The leaked messages reveal Hollywood’s brutal behind-the-scenes reaction to celebrity scandals
Sony executives privately declared Blake Lively finished in Hollywood while publicly backing her during the It Ends With Us controversy, newly unsealed court documents reveal.
The internal emails, part of Lively’s ongoing lawsuit against co-star Justin Baldoni, expose the studio’s stark divide between public support and private condemnation.
“She Did It to Herself”
In an Aug. 21, 2024 email, Sanford Panitch, Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group president, wrote: “It’s quite ironic because she has a huge hit movie headed to $300M-plus. And probably will never work again, or not for a while.”
Panitch compared Lively’s situation to Anne Hathaway’s past backlash, adding: “Tom thinks she’s probably and bizarrely unhirable right now.”
When another executive predicted the controversy would pass, Panitch responded bluntly: “No. Disagree. She is done for. At least for a while. It’s cooked.”
The Sony chief speculated Lively had told someone named Josh she was retiring, suggesting any return might take years – an “Eva Mendes time” reference to the actress’s extended break from Hollywood.
The Haircare Launch That “Couldn’t Be Changed”
Panitch reserved particular criticism for Lively’s August 2024 launch of Blake Brown, her haircare brand with Target.
“What everyone ever has done in show business for time and memorial is protect ‘the show,'” he wrote. “Then none of the sleuthing would have happened.”
He called the product launch timing “epic-level stupid,” adding: “She wouldn’t listen. She knows better.”
A source told News Of Los Angeles the Target launch “was set months in advance and could not be changed. The film date pushed to overlap.” It Ends With Us had been postponed twice from its original Valentine’s Day 2024 slot.
“The Mess Is the Story Now”
Earlier messages show panic at Sony’s highest levels. Chairman Tom Rothman’s Aug. 9 email captured the studio’s despair: “It’s all a f—ing disaster. None of the who or right or wrong matters at all. The mess is the story now and it will define the film. No one can watch the film the same way. Tragic.”
Rothman later acknowledged Lively’s privilege while blaming her for the backlash: “She has so much – looks, money, fame, hunk husband, kids – that the instinct of the crowd is to tear her down. Like what happened to Anne Hathaway, and neither of them deserve it, even though she did bring it on herself by refusing to listen to advice… and by selling her products.”
Public Praise, Private Condemnation
Despite the private attacks, Sony maintained public support for Lively throughout August 2024.
On Aug. 15, the studio issued a statement praising her “passion and commitment to advancing the conversation around domestic violence,” emphasizing the film’s social message.
The contradiction extended to opening weekend celebrations. On Aug. 11, Sony’s Andrea Giannetti texted Lively about the film’s $50 million opening: “Your blood sweat tears brilliant smarts heart and soul in every single frame. My God. It’s incredible.”
Giannetti later admitted in deposition to once calling Lively a “f—ing terrorist” during production tensions, while also celebrating the film’s eventual $350 million worldwide gross as “incredible.”
The $127 Million Fallout
The leaked emails emerged ahead of a Jan. 21 summary judgment hearing in Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni. The trial is scheduled for May 18, 2025.
In November 2025 court filings, Lively detailed damages from the fallout. She seeks:
- $56 million in lost acting earnings
- $71 million in lost business profits from Betty Buzz, Betty Booze, and Blake Brown Beauty
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman seized on the Sony emails as vindication: “As stated all along… the evidence does not support the claims as a matter of law. A simple read of the newly released message exchanges make the truth abundantly clear.”
The documents reveal how quickly Hollywood relationships can fracture when controversy strikes, even as a film heads toward $300 million at the box office.
Key Takeaways:
- Sony executives privately wrote off Lively’s career while publicly supporting her
- Internal criticism focused on her refusal to delay product launches during the controversy
- The studio’s internal divide highlights entertainment industry’s brutal response to celebrity scandals
- Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni continues toward May trial
