Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively © Getty

IT NEVER ENDS

Blake Lively’s follower count is dropping, Justin Baldoni’s is rising—and the internet is eating it up

The drama is far from over for these two


Jovita Trujillo - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
FEBRUARY 24, 2025 11:30 PM EST

It Ends With Us may have hit theaters in August 2024, but the drama surrounding the film hasn’t slowed down. As Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battles unfold, it’s looking more and more like a trial is looming for 2026—especially since both have rejected settlement deals. While we wait to see what happens in court, the real spectacle is playing out online, where people have taken sides, proudly declaring themselves Team Baldoni or Team Lively.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are seen on the set of 'It Ends with Us' on January 12, 2024 in Jersey City, New Jersey. © Getty
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are seen on the set of 'It Ends with Us' on January 12, 2024 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Social media has turned into a battleground, with YouTube blogs, tea channels, and personal creators racking up millions of views dissecting every new detail with wild theories. But beyond the debates and hot takes, the numbers don’t lie—Lively has lost 864,085 followers since September, while Baldoni has gained 230,896, according to data from QR Code Generator, per DailyMail.

The biggest shift happened in January when Baldoni filed his lawsuit. That month alone, Lively lost 329,577 followers—the most significant drop she’s seen in five years—while Baldoni gained 159,644. The trend continued into February, with Lively shedding another 363,930 followers and Baldoni gaining 196,230.

"It’s fascinating to watch how quickly public opinion shifts in cases like this,” said Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator PRO S.L. “When The New York Times published its article on Lively’s sexual harassment complaint in December, she actually saw the smallest decline since September—losing only 32,664 followers. In fact, from December 21 to January 3, she even gained 46,624 followers. But Baldoni’s lawsuits changed everything, leading to the biggest drop in her following in years.”

© Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin

Of course, numbers aside, the court of law doesn’t care about Instagram followings. But the court of public opinion? That’s another story. Even Ryan Reynolds got in on the conversation at the SNL 50th anniversary special, where he attended with Lively, and made a joke about the situation with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

© Getty

Fey asked how he was doing, to which he quipped, “Great—why, what have you heard?” The moment sparked debate, with some calling it inappropriate while others defended Lively and Reynolds’ right to handle things however they see fit.

Meanwhile, as Lively made her return to the public eye in New York, Baldoni was spotted surfing in Hawaii, seemingly unbothered by the chaos back home. With attorneys handling the heavy lifting, he’s traded LA’s paparazzi frenzy for island time. But with a high-profile trial potentially on the horizon, the drama is far from over. 

This could be the biggest celebrity legal battle since Johnny Depp and Amber Heard—though, unlike that case, experts have said it's unlikely it will be televised. For now, all we can do is wait and see how this plays out—both in court and on the internet.

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