Discovery+ is set to release two documentary series in June and July examining recent high-stakes disputes that captured global attention: the legal clash between actor Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni, and the fallout from Spanish soccer official Luis Rubiales’ unsolicited kiss of player Jenni Hermoso. Both projects, produced by Optomen, form part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s 50-hour UK programming slate announced this week.
Baldoni vs Lively: A Hollywood Feud, premiering in June, will dissect the ongoing legal battle between the It Ends With Us co-stars. Lively filed a complaint last year alleging Baldoni engaged in sexual misconduct during filming and orchestrated a smear campaign to silence her.
Baldoni has denied the claims and countersued for $400 million, accusing Lively of defamation. The series promises a detailed account of events leading to their impending court cases, mirroring the platform’s prior documentaries on celebrity conflicts like Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard.
A second series, Rubiales vs. Hermoso: The World Cup Kiss, arrives in July. The two-part documentary revisits the 2023 Women’s World Cup incident where Rubiales, then president of Spain’s football federation, kissed Hermoso without consent during the trophy ceremony.
Rubiales, found guilty of sexual assault earlier this year, will publicly address the controversy for the first time since resigning in 2023. The second episode features Hermoso’s teammate Laia Codina and others close to the athlete, who called the kiss a stain on “one of the happiest days of my life.”
Charlotte Reid, VP of Commissioning at Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland, emphasized the slate’s mix of returning formats and new projects. “We’re excited to announce over 50 hours of content, building on well-loved formats like ‘vs’ while introducing fresh ideas,” she said. Optomen, known for At Home With the Furys, produces both series.
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The announcements follow rival broadcaster Channel 5’s recent airing of He Said, She Said: Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni, produced by ITN. The competing projects highlight broadcasters’ growing emphasis on rapid-turnaround documentaries about unfolding legal and cultural controversies.
