Is there some subtle shade going on in Emily Baldoni‘s anniversary post celebrating 13 years of marriage to her husband, Justin Baldoni? That’s what some fans seem to think in the comments of her Instagram photo.
If you don’t know, the It Ends with Us legal drama has been ongoing for almost 2 years at this point.
A quick recap of the It Ends with Us legal drama
In December 2024, Blake accused Justin of sexual harassment and retaliation stemming from production of the movie. Justin denied the allegations and later filed a $400 million lawsuit in response. In June 2025, Justin‘s suit was dismissed, while Blake‘s continued on. In May 2026, it was revealed that a settlement had been reached between Blake and Justin. It didn’t end there, however.
A federal judge ruled that Blake was entitled to attorneys’ fees and litigation costs in her battle against Justin. She is seeking over $8 million from him.
His studio was also just ordered to pay six figures to the New York Times.
What did Emily Baldoni’s post say that might have referenced the It Ends with Us lawsuit?
On Instagram, Emily posted a photo, seemingly from their wedding, with Justin lifting her up at the altar while they embraced.
She chose the caption, “Marriage: still my favorite lift. Thirteen, baby!!”
How the word “lift” has sparked rumors that Emily Baldoni is shading Blake Lively
The word “lift” was actually included in Justin‘s lawsuit. One part of the lawsuit that has gotten a lot of attention online was about Blake Lively and her body. In his lawsuit, he alleged that he reached out to a personal trainer to prepare for a lift scene with Blake.
“Privately, Baldoni reached out to [Don Saladino], as his personal trainer, to ask what Lively weighed so that he could train his back muscles in preparation for a lift scene. This was important to avoid injury not only to Baldoni, who suffered from lifelong back injuries, multiple bulging disks, and chronic pain but also to Lively if the lift could not be completed successfully and safely,” the suit read. “Notwithstanding Lively’s recent attempts to deny the existence of any such scene, it was only nixed at her insistence after having been planned and rehearsed. The next morning, Baldoni was summoned to the penthouse by Lively and greeted by Reynolds, who swore at Baldoni and accused him of fat-shaming his wife (‘How dare you f-cking ask about my wife’s weight? What’s wrong with you?’).”
Don Saladino has worked with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for years. He also gave his account of what happened, according to court documents.
“I recall that Mr. Baldoni asked me how much Ms. Lively would weigh by the start of filming. He said that he was asking about her weight in connection with a scripted lift scene, suggesting that he needed to know Ms. Lively’s weight to determine whether he could perform the lift,” Don allegedly said. “I have never experienced someone reaching out to me about a client’s weigh. I felt that Mr. Baldoni’s explanation for his question was dishonest, given that, based on my understanding of Mr. Baldoni’s workout regimen, he would easily be able to perform a lift in a range that would include Ms. Lively.”
“Lively seemed embarrassed and hurt that Mr. Baldoni had asked about her weight without her permission,” he said.
Some of the comments included, “I bet you this lift did not hurt his back!,” “Emily with the shade happy anniversary my people,” “Lol nice burn,” and many more.
An artist named Mayi Carles, who claims to know Emily, dismissed all the talk of shade in the comments, writing, “The funniest part about this whole [fire emoji] is that it’s happening entirely in people’s heads. I know Emily. She would rather disappear into the woods than throw shade on social media.”
Some did not seem pleased to see the lift reference, with one writing, “Awww. She is living rent free in in your head on your anniversary” and “Good gravy, can’t resist a little shade throwing on your anniversary, no less? Yes, you guys are clearly the victims.”
Posted To:Blake Lively Emily Baldoni Justin Baldoni