Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Reach Settlement Two Weeks Ahead of Trial

After a year and a half of bitter feuding in court and in the press, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have ended their legal differences two weeks ahead of a federal trial.

Lively had accused Baldoni, her director and co-star, of sexual harassment on the set of their 2024 film, “It Ends With Us.” She also alleged that when she raised complaints about it, he and his army of publicists launched a digital smear campaign to retaliate.

In a joint statement released on Monday, the parties expressed their feelings about moving forward.

“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. We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard. We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. 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.”

The settlement comes about a month after Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 civil claims, including all claims for harassment.

The ruling left three claims — retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of contract — to be decided by a jury.

At the time, Sigrid McCawley, Lively’s attorney, said she looked forward to telling her story on the witness stand.

She also indicated that a settlement was a real possibility, suggesting that Lively had already achieved her goals by exposing the “smear machine” at the heart of the case.

“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,” McCawley said.

Lively also took to Instagram to declare a victory of sorts. “The last thing I wanted in my life was a lawsuit, but I brought this case because of the pervasive RETALIATION I faced, and continue to, for privately and professionally asking for a safe working environment for myself and others,” she wrote. “I hope the Court’s decision shows others that, as unfathomably painful as it is, you can speak up.”

Lively initiated the legal war in December 2024, filing an administrative complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.

Around the same time, the New York Times published an article exposing text messages from Baldoni’s publicists, in which they strategized on how to respond to Lively’s allegations and boasted about their ability to “bury” anyone.

Baldoni responded with a defamation lawsuit in federal court, alleging that Lively had destroyed his reputation with false harassment claims in a cynical bid to hijack the film. He also sued the New York Times. Lively then countersued, accusing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and others of harassment, retaliation, and other claims.

Baldoni’s defamation suit was dismissed early on, as the judge ruled that Lively and the Times were both protected by privileges covering litigation and reporting on litigation.

After over a year of extensive discovery and bitter legal battles, most of Lively’s claims were also dismissed— mostly on technical grounds instead of the merits.

Lively was classified as an independent contractor rather than an employee, which prevented her from suing for harassment under federal law.

Additionally, since the filming took place in New Jersey, she could not pursue a claim under California’s harassment law.