Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have settled their legal battle over the production of the 2024 film It Ends With Us, just two weeks before a trial was set to begin in New York. The civil case alleged that Baldoni conspired with publicists to destroy Lively's reputation after she privately accused him of sexual harassment on set.
In a joint statement issued through their lawyers, Lively and Baldoni said: '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 also acknowledged that Lively's concerns 'deserved to be heard' and reaffirmed their commitment to workplaces free of improprieties.
Lively, 38, sued Baldoni, 42, and his production company Wayfarer Studios in late 2024, claiming he made inappropriate comments, violated physical boundaries during a love scene, and pushed for nudity against her wishes. Baldoni denied the allegations and countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist for defamation and extortion, alleging Lively fabricated complaints to seize creative control of the movie.
The settlement avoids a trial that would have spotlighted the ugly side of show business. It follows a federal judge's dismissal of some claims: in June, Judge Lewis Liman threw out Baldoni's defamation and extortion lawsuit, and in April, he dismissed Lively's sexual harassment claims, ruling she was an independent contractor, not an employee.
The film, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel about domestic violence, remains a source of pride for those involved, according to the joint statement. The legal battle had included allegations that Baldoni hired a 'digital army' to post negative content about Lively on social media.
