Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Settle 'It Ends With Us' Legal Battle Without Monetary Compensation
The legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni tied to the film It Ends With Us has reportedly been resolved without any monetary compensation exchanged between the parties. TMZ, Variety, and other outlets confirmed the development.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settled their ‘It Ends With Us’ legal dispute without reported monetary compensation.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Despite the reported settlement, Lively still has a pending motion seeking attorneys’ fees and damages connected to Baldoni’s dismissed defamation lawsuit against her.
“Anyone purporting to confirm the terms of the confidential settlement at this point is misleading you,” a source told Variety. “More information about this confidential settlement will be on the court’s docket in the coming days.”
Representatives for both Lively and Baldoni did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Rolling Stone.
News of the settlement surfaced one day after both sides officially ended their legal fight surrounding It Ends With Us, avoiding a trial that had been scheduled to start on May 18 and was expected to run for six to eight weeks. According to Rolling Stone, Baldoni was reportedly pleased with the outcome.
The legal conflict began after Lively made claims in 2024 alleging that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios fostered a toxic and sexually charged workplace environment on the set of the film. She also accused Baldoni and the producers of conducting a campaign intended to damage her reputation.
Baldoni later filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, accusing her of defamation. That lawsuit was eventually dismissed. He also filed a defamation suit against The New York Times over its reporting on Lively’s original sexual harassment complaint, but that case was also dismissed.
Earlier in the month, a judge dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims, including allegations of sexual harassment. As a result, the planned trial was expected to focus mainly on retaliation and breach of contract issues.
Before the settlement was reached, attorneys for both parties argued over whether expert witness testimony should be allowed. Much of the debate centered on Lively’s claims that she suffered losses ranging from $39 million to $143 million because of the controversy linked to the movie. Baldoni’s legal team disputed those figures, arguing that her work history did not support the estimates and noting that the four films she appeared in over the previous eight years generated earnings of roughly $21 million.
In a joint statement released alongside Monday’s settlement announcement, lawyers representing Wayfarer Studios and Lively said, “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.”
The statement continued: “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.”
