Scarlett Johansson has finally chimed in on the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni lawsuit, and honestly, her reaction is exactly what you’d expect, equal parts diplomatic and real.
While she’s not personally tied up in the drama, the Black Widow star finds herself tangentially connected through Wayfarer Studios, which just so happens to be the same company backing her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great. Yeah, awkward timing much?
In an interview with Vanity Fair published May 14, Scarlett addressed the elephant in the room. “They were super supportive throughout the process,” she said of Wayfarer. “But yeah, such weird timing.” That’s Johansson for you, straight to the point, no drama, just vibes.
To be clear, Scarlett Johansson never actually met Justin Baldoni during the making of her film. He was busy directing It Ends With Us, which has now turned into the center of a full-blown legal mess. The lawsuit between Baldoni and Blake Lively, who co-starred in that same film, has taken a nasty turn, dragging everyone from Taylor Swift to Ryan Reynolds into the headlines. Johansson might not be directly involved, but her new movie’s main production partner definitely is.
Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni’s co-founded production company, has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons lately. And just to make things even messier, they announced the shutdown of their philanthropic arm, Wayfarer Foundation, right in the middle of all this legal chaos. According to a May 2 Instagram statement from Steve Sarowitz, a producing partner and longtime supporter, the board made a unanimous decision to sunset the foundation. “We will honor all of our current grant commitments as we carefully wind down operations over the next several weeks,” he shared.
The announcement was a surprise for many, especially since the foundation was launched in 2016 with such a strong mission, supporting spiritually rooted and justice-driven nonprofits to push humanity toward a more peaceful world. Sarowitz assured that although the foundation is shutting down, his commitment to giving remains unchanged.
Back in 2019, Baldoni was openly passionate about the work being done through the Wayfarer Foundation. “We have too many people who are isolated and being left behind by society,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “But what’s been so amazing is finding that there are so many people in our cities who sincerely want to connect and give back.”
And then it all unraveled. Fast-forward to late 2024, when Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni alleging sexual harassment and retaliation during their time filming It Ends With Us. In response, Baldoni fired back with a $400 million countersuit, accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion. All parties have firmly denied the claims made against them, but the case has since snowballed, pulling in Swift and others via subpoenas.
So yeah, when Scarlett Johansson calls the timing “weird,” it’s a massive understatement. While she’s out here promoting her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, which has both Sony Pictures Classic and Wayfarer backing it, the headlines are dominated by legal beef involving the very studio funding her movie.
Still, Johansson seems to be staying above the fray. Her connection to Ryan Reynolds, whom she was married to back in the day, only adds another layer of intrigue, but she’s clearly not here to stir the pot. She’s focused on the film, and honestly, who can blame her? With Eleanor the Great expected to release later this year, she’s got bigger things to worry about than the drama brewing behind the scenes.
The trial between Baldoni and Lively is set for March 2026, and by the look of things, it’s going to be a long and messy ride. For now, Scarlett Johansson is doing her best to keep her film separate from the headlines, but even she couldn’t ignore the bizarre timing of it all.
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