Chelsea Handler joked about Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battle while hosting the 2025 Critics’ Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on Friday.
During her opening monologue, Handler referenced the ongoing lawsuit between the It Ends With Us co-stars, delivering one of the night’s most talked-about moments.
“I want to acknowledge that we’ve been through a lot lately—not just here in Los Angeles, but across the country—waking up every day not knowing what news will disappoint or horrify us,” Handler said, referencing recent LA wildfires and political turmoil.
“So it is important in times like these to have a distraction, and that’s why I want to personally extend my gratitude to Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. Thank you for providing us with that distraction.”
She ended the joke with a reference to their film’s title, hinting at the unlikely possibility of a sequel due to their ongoing dispute.
“It ends with us, guys,” she quipped, prompting laughter from the audience.
Lively vs. Baldoni: a legal battle unfolds
The feud between Lively and Baldoni has intensified since December, when Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni denied the claims and in January, filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and extortion.
While Handler’s joke made waves at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the 2025 Golden Globe Awards took a different approach, with host Nikki Glaser refusing to mention the controversy.
“I think the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni thing is such a hot-button issue that even a mere mention of it could seem like I’m taking sides,” Glaser said in an interview before the event.
Neither Lively nor Baldoni have commented on Handler’s remarks, but their legal battle is far from over, with Lively’s legal team dismissing Baldoni’s countersuit as “meritless.”
