US Weekly has unveiled the unsigned contract Blake Lively received for It Ends with Us before everything went downhill. Reporter Kjersti Flaa, who once made headlines for her awkward interview with the actress, talks about the said contract in her latest YouTube video, diving into further details about what it could mean for her legal battle against Justin Baldoni.
Before we get into that, let’s talk about exactly how much Lively allegedly made from the film, and how much she could have made if things had gone her way.
As per the contract, Lively was to be paid $1.75 million as fixed compensation for her role as Lily Bloom. Adding to that, she would also receive 10% of the film’s profits. Flaa added that the actress would make an additional $250,000 if the box office collection turned out to be three times the film’s cost.
According to The Numbers, It Ends with Us’ production budget was $25 million, and the film made $349 million at the box office, 14 times the production budget.
Moreover, the contract added that Lively would receive a bonus of $100,000 if she was nominated for an Oscar, and another $200,000 if she won. She would also receive $75,000 for a Golden Globe nomination and $100,000 for the win. The same went for a SAG award. It’s worth noting that Lively has never been nominated for either.
Added Benefits Blake Lively Received on It Ends With Us: Private Jet and More
Apart from monetary benefits, Blake Lively’s contract, which remained unsigned, also gave her a few other perks during the filming of It Ends with Us. This includes a driver who would take her to and from work, an exclusive-use trailer with customary amenities in New Jersey, and more.
She would also receive $1,000 per week for training and meal allowance, as well as $1,500 for assistant fees. If that’s not all, the contract allowed Lively the use of a private jet to travel in. The jet was for her, her four children, her assistant, two nannies, and her security team.
As Flaa puts it,
Isn’t that kind of ironic how Ryan Reynolds has been out there so many times proclaiming that he is such an environmentalist, and he signed this contract with the UN for his soccer team. He’s been donating money to environmental causes, and they’re flying private jets.
Adding to the weekly allowance and private jet travels, Wayfarer Studios was to provide the actress with hotel accommodations, which included a mutually approved suite for her and her kids, as well as four standard rooms for her assistants, nannies, and security.
Could the Contract Be Used Against Blake Lively in Court?
Talking about the contract, Flaa also touched on how Team Baldoni could use this contract to prove their side of the story in court. The reporter clarified that she went into a deep dive into what attorneys are saying about this before she made any claims in her video.
Apparently, the contract strongly implies that Lively wasn’t an employee of the Wayfarer parties or the film, but rather a contractor. This gives Lively a lot of power on set, contrary to what she has said before.
Flaa added, “It also says here that if there’s any conflict between them, this should be solved outside of court. It should happen in private arbitration, meaning that Blake Lively really didn’t honor this contract.“
Since we have established that Lively never signed the contract, it brings up the question that just how much of it Baldoni’s legal team could use in court. Well, as per Flaa’s understanding of the matter, the contract is valid evidence.
She said, “I’ve heard a lot of people talk about…that even if you don’t sign a contract, if you act like it is in place, like here, she was paid, she went to work…”, it is considered valid.
Flaa continued that Lively and her team have tried using California law against Baldoni, but the contract explicitly points out that work was done in New York, which may give Team Baldoni an advantage.
What do you think about Lively’s contract and what it could mean for the future of the Baldoni-Lively battle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Stream It Ends with Us on Netflix.
