Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have agreed to settle their two-year legal battle, just days before going to trial.
The It Ends With Us actress has agreed on a deal with her co-star’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, as well as his PR company, amid claims of retaliation and breach of contract.
Both sides released a statement on Monday, saying, “The end product – the movie ‘It Ends With Us’ – is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors – and all survivors – is a goal that we stand behind.” They signed off with, “It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”
There is no apology from Baldoni’s side and the terms of the settlement remain a secret. Lively, 38, initially filed her complaint against It Ends With Us director Baldoni, 42, in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment, intimidation, and a retaliatory smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni. She claimed in the filings that she had lost $161 million as a result of the fallout. Baldoni has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
His lawyers argued that the actor hired a crisis public relations firm to protect him as he feared Lively was going to bring forward false allegations. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman dismissed the sexual harassment allegations, along with seven other claims, last month.
Lively claimed that Baldoni kissed her during a scene where the script didn’t call for it and said he entered her trailer while she breastfed. After 10 of the 13 claims Lively made were thrown out, it meant Baldoni was no longer a defendant in the case. Liman said Lively sued under California law but the alleged wrongful conduct took place elsewhere. He also cited other issues, such as the fact that she had not signed an agreement that would have governed sexual harassment on set.
Baldoni and his production company also countersued Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, for $400million, accusing them of defamation and extortion.But the judge dismissed Baldoni’s claims last June. The court found that the allegations did not meet the legal standard for extortion or defamation. Liman said the actress could pursue her retaliation claims, among others, against Baldoni’s studio, and they were set to go before a jury on May 18.
“The case has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively’s reputation because she stood up for safety on the set and that is the case that is going to trial,” Sigrid McCawley, a member of Lively’s legal team.
“For Blake Lively, the greatest measure of justice is that the people and the playbook behind these coordinated digital attacks have been exposed and are already being held accountable by other women they’ve targeted. She looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation so that it becomes easier to detect and fight.”
But it seems she has done the last-minute U-turn, because her famous former BFF, Taylor Swift, was set to be one of the big names involved in the upcoming trial. Taylor, 36, was possibly going to be called as a hostile witness for Baldoni’s team. With Taylor and fiance Travis Kelce’s reported wedding date planned for June 13, there was a possibility the pop star’s court date and the noise which would surround her appearance would put a stain on the fairy-tale nuptials. While Lively and Taylor used to be best friends, the singer reportedly ended their friendship after feeling she was being “used” and dragged into the messy lawsuit.
Lively is not a nice person. She is manipulative, attention-seeking and if the rumours are true- has no respect for the usual boundaries in relationships. Reynolds and Lively first met in 2010 when they filmed the movie adaptation of Green Lantern. Reynolds played the titular DC Comics superhero character, while Lively played his love interest, Carol Ferris. At the time, they were both seeing other people. Reynolds was married to actress Scarlett Johansson.
She saw what she wanted and Reynolds’ head was turned. Here, this settlement proves what a frivolous lawsuit it was in the first place. Brought by an over-entitled Hollywood princess.
She will be lucky to ever work again in Hollywood. She has shown herself to be difficult, demanding, attention-seeking and troublesome. Good luck Ryan.
