It Ends With Settlement: Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Settle Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Case Before Trial

The national It Ends With Us nightmare is over!

4 Min Read
Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni Film Kissing Scene For 'It Ends With Us'
Photo by Jose Perez/INSTARimages

Highlights

  • Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settled their It Ends With Us lawsuit on May 4, avoiding trial.
  • Settlement terms are confidential; a joint statement from both legal teams was released.
  • Baldoni’s $400M countersuit was previously dismissed; only 3 of Lively’s 13 claims survived.

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

On May 4, both parties announced they had agreed to a settlement, weeks before a jury trial was scheduled to begin May 18. The details of the settlement were not made public.

Both legal teams issued a joint statement that leaned into the film’s message. “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,” Bryan Freedman, Ellyn Garofalo, Michael Gottlieb, and Esra Hudson said.

“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 statement continued.

Blake Lively Holiday Pop Up
Blake Lively at the Blake Lively “Blake Brown and Stoney Clover” Holiday Pop Up in Soho on December 9, 2025. Photo Credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com

Lively went public with her allegations in December 2024, roughly four months after It Ends With Us premiered in theaters. She accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on set and alleged his team launched a digital smear campaign to retaliate after she raised concerns.

The settlement came about a month after Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of Lively’s 13 civil claims, including all claims for harassment, leaving retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of contract for a jury to decide.

Lively’s attorney had signaled a deal was quietly possible. “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,” Sigrid McCawley said at the time.

Justin Baldoni Leaves New York City Courthouse
Justin Baldoni and his wife Emily leave court in New York City for showdown with Blake Lively on February 11, 2026. Photo Credit: Elder Ordonez/INSTARimages

Lively herself had taken to Instagram with a pointed message. “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.

In January 2025, Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others, alleging defamation, extortion, and additional claims. A judge dismissed Baldoni’s case in June 2025.

It’s a messy ending to one of Hollywood’s messiest feuds, but both sides are clearly ready to move on.


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