NEW YORK — The high-profile $60 million legal war between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has taken a serious emotional and professional toll on both actors, with insiders saying the bitter dispute over the film It Ends With Us has left them exhausted, isolated and navigating intense public scrutiny more than nine months after allegations first surfaced.

Sources close to both parties describe a once-collaborative working relationship that deteriorated into accusations of misconduct, smear campaigns and retaliatory lawsuits, creating what one Hollywood veteran called “one of the messiest public battles in recent memory.” The conflict, which began during production of the 2024 adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, escalated into federal court filings that continue to dominate tabloid headlines and social media discourse.

Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit in December 2024 accusing Baldoni, 41, and others involved in the project of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. Baldoni responded with a $60 million countersuit in early 2025, claiming Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds orchestrated a smear campaign to damage his reputation and seize control of the film’s narrative. Both sides have denied the allegations leveled against them, with legal teams trading sharp public statements.

The Human Cost Behind the Headlines

Friends of Lively say the ordeal has been particularly draining as she balances motherhood — the couple shares four children — with the intense media spotlight. “This has affected her deeply,” one close source said. “Blake is a private person at heart, and having every detail of her professional conduct dissected publicly has been incredibly difficult.” Lively has maintained a relatively low profile since the lawsuits intensified, focusing on family while her legal team handles the public-facing aspects of the case.

Baldoni, who directed and starred in the film, has also felt the weight of the battle. Associates describe him as frustrated and determined to clear his name, but exhausted by the financial and emotional strain of prolonged litigation. “Justin poured his heart into this project,” a source familiar with his side said. “The accusations hit him hard, and fighting back has taken a real toll on his mental health and career momentum.”

The legal costs alone are staggering. Industry estimates suggest both parties have already spent millions on attorneys, public relations firms and expert witnesses. The $60 million countersuit figure includes claims of defamation, interference with contractual relations and economic harm, signaling Baldoni’s aggressive push for vindication.

Fallout in Hollywood and Beyond

The dispute has sent ripples throughout the entertainment industry. Several cast members from It Ends With Us have reportedly distanced themselves, with some choosing not to comment publicly. The film’s box office success — it grossed over $350 million worldwide — now feels overshadowed by the off-screen drama, affecting marketing efforts for potential sequels or related projects.

Public opinion remains sharply divided. Supporters of Lively point to the #MeToo movement and the importance of believing women in Hollywood, while Baldoni’s defenders argue that due process matters and that powerful couples like Lively and Reynolds can weaponize media narratives. Social media platforms continue to host heated debates, with hashtags related to the case trending periodically.

Mental health experts following the story note that high-profile legal battles often exacerbate anxiety, depression and reputational trauma for celebrities. “When your personal and professional lives collide in the courtroom, the stress is compounded,” said Dr. Rachel Goldman, a psychologist specializing in celebrity mental health. “Both Lively and Baldoni are in the public eye 24/7, which makes healing much more difficult.”

Legal Proceedings and Next Steps

The case remains active in federal court, with discovery ongoing and multiple motions filed by both sides. Lively’s team has pushed for dismissal of parts of the countersuit, while Baldoni’s attorneys argue that evidence will vindicate their client. A trial date has not yet been set, but insiders expect proceedings to stretch well into 2027, meaning the public saga could continue for years.

Both actors have paused most public promotional work related to the film. Lively has focused on smaller projects and family time, while Baldoni has leaned into his existing podcast and wellness ventures. Neither has spoken extensively about the case beyond prepared legal statements, a strategy their teams believe protects their positions in court.

Broader Implications for Hollywood

The Lively-Baldoni conflict highlights ongoing challenges in the post-#MeToo era. Questions about power dynamics on film sets, the role of intimacy coordinators, and how allegations are handled remain at the forefront. Advocacy groups on both sides of the debate have used the case to push for clearer industry standards and better protections for all parties involved in productions.

For fans of the bestselling book, the drama has tainted what was once a beloved story of resilience and love. Many readers express disappointment that the film’s important message about domestic violence has been overshadowed by the off-screen conflict.

As the legal battle continues, both Lively and Baldoni face the challenge of rebuilding their public images while protecting their families. Insiders say private settlement discussions have occurred but no agreement has been reached, with both sides dug in on matters of principle and reputation.

The $60 million lawsuit represents more than financial stakes — it has become a proxy for larger conversations about accountability, power and truth in Hollywood. For Lively and Baldoni, the personal cost appears far greater than any monetary figure. As one source close to the production summarized, “This fight has drained everyone involved. At this point, both sides just want it to end, but pride and principle keep it going.”

The coming months will likely bring more filings, potential depositions and continued media attention. For now, the two stars navigate their separate paths, forever linked by a film that promised healing but delivered one of Hollywood’s most contentious chapters in recent years. The toll, as those close to the situation confirm, has been profound on both sides.

Thai officials and Chinese partners are enhancing durian exports after a delegation visited eastern Thailand’s production sites, focusing on quality control and promoting consumer confidence in this key export market.

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Key Points

• Thai officials and Chinese partners are intensifying efforts to boost durian exports, especially after a recent visit by a delegation to Thailand’s key durian production areas. The group included executives from Pagoda, a major Chinese fruit importer, along with media representatives and influencers.
• Led by Dr. Nopparat Buahom, the delegation toured orchards and packing facilities in Chanthaburi province, where they received briefings from the Department of Agriculture on quality control and safety standards, including Good Agricultural Practices certification and pest control measures.
• Pagoda, which operates over 6,000 retail outlets in China, imports Thai fruits valued at over 10 billion baht annually. The company plans to import 1,500 containers of Thai durian in 2026 and aims to expand its product offerings. Media coverage from the visit is being leveraged to enhance consumer confidence in China.

Thai officials and Chinese partners are stepping up efforts to promote durian exports, following a recent visit by importers, media representatives, and influencers to key production sites in eastern Thailand.

The delegation, led by Dr. Nopparat Buahom, agricultural consul at the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Guangzhou, included executives from Pagoda, one of China’s largest fruit importers, along with journalists from major outlets and online influencers. The group toured durian orchards and packing facilities in Chanthaburi province to observe production and export processes firsthand.

Officials from the Department of Agriculture provided briefings on quality control and safety standards across the supply chain, from orchard management to pre-export inspection. The delegation reviewed procedures for Good Agricultural Practices certification, testing for starch levels, pesticide residues, and heavy metals, as well as pest control measures. Participants also sampled several durian varieties and other fruits.

Pagoda operates more than 6,000 retail outlets across China and imports Thai fruit worth over 10 billion baht annually. The company plans to import about 1,500 containers of Thai durian in 2026 and is considering expanding to additional products. Media coverage and online content from the visit are being distributed across Chinese platforms to boost consumer confidence and support demand in Thailand’s largest fruit export market.

Source : Thailand Boosts Durian Exports to China With Trade Visit

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Shares of Adani Group companies, including Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports, Adani Green Energy, Adani Energy Solutions and Adani Power, jumped up to 3% on Friday morning after reports indicated that US authorities may move towards resolving fraud allegations against Gautam Adani and potentially close the criminal case against him.

Additionally, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar have agreed to pay a total of $18 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission allegations they made false and misleading representations about Adani Green Energy, Bloomberg reported, further boosting investor sentiment for the stocks.

Gautam Adani would pay $6 million and Sagar would pay $12 million to end the SEC’s November 2024 lawsuit, under the proposed agreement filed in federal court Thursday, which still needs a judge’s approval, according to the Bloomberg report.

According to a report by The New York Times, citing people familiar with the matter, the U.S. Justice Department is considering dropping charges filed against Adani during the final weeks of the Joe Biden administration. Prosecutors had previously described the matter as an “elaborate bribery scheme involving corruption and fraud at the expense of U.S. investors.”

The report said the development follows Adani appointing a new legal team led by Robert J. Giuffra Jr., one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal lawyers and co-chairman of the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell.

As per the NYT report, Adani’s legal representatives met officials at the U.S. Justice Department headquarters last month and proposed that if prosecutors agreed to drop the charges, Adani would commit $10 billion in investments into the U.S. economy and create 15,000 jobs.
The report added that Giuffra was also working to settle parallel civil cases brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and a separate probe by the U.S. Treasury Department.The New York Times further reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that both agencies are now preparing settlement agreements with Adani that would include financial penalties. Separately, a report by Bloomberg said Adani is discussing a potential settlement of between $15 million and $20 million in connection with a civil fraud case filed by the SEC and others in November 2024.

Bloomberg also reported, citing people aware of the discussions, that the Adani Group is nearing a deal to pay nearly $275 million to settle a separate probe by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

In its case, the U.S. Justice Department had alleged that Adani and others offered bribes to Indian government officials to secure solar energy contracts and later concealed the arrangement while raising funds from U.S. investors.

A resolution of these cases would mark a major relief for the Adani Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates with interests spanning coal mining, renewable energy, airports and infrastructure. It could also pave the way for the group to re-enter international capital markets and revive its broader expansion plans.

Earlier this year, Adani’s legal team had sought dismissal of the SEC fraud case, arguing that U.S. regulators did not have the necessary jurisdiction over the accused individuals and that the alleged misstatements at the centre of the case were not legally actionable.

Adani Enterprises shares jumped nearly 3% to trade at Rs 2,780 apiece. The stock is extending sharp gains after nearly 60 lakh shares changed hands in a block deal. Adani Energy Solutions, Adani Green Energy and Adani Power shares rose up to 2% each.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

Former United midfielder Beckham is now a co-owner of American club Inter Miami, estimated to be Major League Soccer’s most valuable franchise at $1.45bn (£1.07bn).

The 51-year-old, who was knighted in November, is also a brand ambassador for companies such as Adidas and Hugo Boss.

Victoria Beckham’s wealth has primarily been generated from her fashion label, having originally found fame as a member of the Spice Girls.

Promoters Barry and Eddie Hearn have joined Britain’s billionaire club, with their combined wealth estimated at £1.035bn.

Barry Hearn is the founder and president of Matchroom Sport, one of the leading promoters across boxing, darts and snooker.

His son Eddie is Matchroom’s chairman and promotes British boxer Anthony Joshua, who is the eighth highest sports figure on the list with £240m, one spot above his heavyweight rival Tyson Fury (£162m).

Seven-time F1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton is fifth (£435m) while England football captain Harry Kane and two-time Wimbledon champion Sir Andy Murray are joint 10th (£110m).

The hedge-fund herd was early to see opportunity in the stocks of chip makers and other artificial-intelligence hardware companies. Those bets just delivered stock-picking funds their best month in over two decades.

Steve Cohen’s Point72, Whale Rock Capital Management and Seligman Investments are among the hedge-fund firms that posted strong returns in April thanks in part to rallies in semiconductor stocks and those of related equipment makers. 

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India’s domestic mutual funds are aggressively building stakes in Adani Group’s energy-linked equities, executing a strategic pivot that treats the conglomerate less as a volatility trade and more as a high-conviction bet on the nation’s massive electrification cycle.

Fresh shareholding data through March 2026 reveals a decisive institutional shift. Mutual fund (MF) ownership in Adani Energy Solutions has more than tripled, surging from 1.91% in December 2024 to 6.59% in March 2026. Adani Green Energy saw an even more dramatic institutional entry, with holdings jumping from a negligible 0.37% to 3.22% in the same period. Adani Power also witnessed steady accumulation, with MF stakes rising from 1.60% to 3.62%.

The pace and breadth of accumulation signal something beyond opportunistic bottom-fishing. Domestic institutions are reclassifying these stocks, not as high-volatility conglomerate plays, but as long-duration infrastructure compounders tied directly to India’s electrification cycle, according to a fund manager who didn’t wish to be named.

The investment logic begins with cash flow. More than 70% of the Adani Group’s EBITDA is derived from contracted capacity, a structure that gives earnings a visibility and predictability rare in large-cap Indian equities. For fund managers running diversified portfolios, that contracted revenue base, spanning power generation, transmission, renewables and logistics, offers a cushion against commodity or macro volatility.

Bullish market estimates project the group’s consolidated EBITDA could scale to Rs 2.5–3 lakh crore by FY30, driven by simultaneous expansion across thermal power, renewables, transmission, ports, airports, cement and logistics.

Also Read | With 50% rally in 2026, Adani Power now most valued power company in India: What’s working in its favour

The Electrification Bet

The more powerful driver, however, is thematic. Adani Power, Green and Energy Solutions sit at the intersection of the most structurally urgent demand story in India’s economy right now: electricity.
The rapid scaling of data centres, electric mobility, manufacturing under the production-linked incentive framework, and urban infrastructure expansion will require reliable, large-scale power supply at a pace India has rarely had to deliver before. AI-linked power demand, still nascent but accelerating, adds another layer of urgency to an already strained grid.That positions generation, transmission and renewable energy assets at the precise centre of the next capital expenditure supercycle. For funds searching for large-cap names with visible growth triggers and durable earnings upside, the Adani energy trio is increasingly passing that screen.

Mutual fund analysts are giving explicit weight to the group’s track record here: ports built and operated at scale, transmission corridors commissioned, renewable capacity added quarter after quarter, airports turned around and airports greenfielded, cement capacity absorbed through acquisition.

Adani Power shares have surged 108% in the past year. A near-50% jump in 2026 alone has pushed its market capitalisation to ₹4.3 lakh crore, edging past NTPC to make it India’s most valuable listed power company and the most valuable within the Adani Group itself. The rally has been fuelled by strong earnings growth, rising electricity demand and steady institutional accumulation.

Also Read |Crude@$100+: The Rs 3 lakh crore power boom you might be missing

Yet Jefferies is not calling time on the trade. The brokerage has raised its price target on Adani Power to ₹255 from ₹185, rolling over to 20x FY28 estimated earnings, citing rising power demand and healthy growth prospects for the next three to four years.

On Adani Energy Solutions, up 48% over the past year, Jefferies maintains a Buy, pointing to a factor that sets it apart structurally: it is India’s only listed private-sector pure play on transmission and distribution assets. The order book stands at ₹718 billion of transmission projects on hand, up 20% year-on-year. And despite the recent run, the stock still trades at a 68% discount to its January 2023 peak EV/EBITDA. Adani Green Energy has gained 46% over the same period.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)