Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached a settlement, ending their contentious legal fight tied to the 2024 film "It Ends With Us.”
The deal was struck on Monday, two weeks before the case was set to go to trial in New York. At the heart of the dispute were Lively's accusations that Baldoni weaponized a public relations operation against her after she privately alleged he sexually harassed her on set—claims Baldoni denied.
In a joint statement, the two sides 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. ... 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."
In June 2025, a federal judge in Manhattan dismissed Baldoni's defamation and extortion lawsuit against Lively, her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist. In April, the judge dismissed Lively's sexual harassment claims.
Dispute Exposes Dark Side of Hollywood Moviemaking
The settlement spares both stars from a trial that threatened to expose some of Hollywood's most damaging behind-the-scenes behavior. The case had drawn intense public attention since it first emerged, pitting two prominent figures in a deeply personal and professionally destructive dispute that played out as much online as it did in court."It Ends With Us," based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling 2016 novel, opened in August 2024 and surpassed box office expectations. Baldoni both directed the film and co-starred in it alongside Lively.
Lively alleged that during production, Baldoni made unsolicited comments about her physical appearance, crossed physical boundaries while shooting a love scene, and repeatedly pushed for nudity during a birth scene—against her explicit wishes.
Baldoni denied that any of his conduct on set went beyond the normal creative process of filmmaking.
But Lively's accusations didn't stop there. She alleged that after she privately raised her harassment concerns, Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, launched a retaliatory campaign to systematically destroy her public image. Her legal team alleged the effort involved hiring a digital army to flood social media with fabricated negative posts about Lively while simultaneously feeding "manufactured content to unwitting reporters.”
The lawsuit alleged the purpose was to "retaliate against Ms. Lively by battering her image, harming her businesses, and causing her family severe emotional harm.”
Claims Dismissed
A judge dismissed the lawsuits made against each party.The same judge had earlier dismissed a separate suit brought by Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, in which they accused Lively and Reynolds of defamation and extortion.
Lively rose to fame in the 2005 film "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and later starred in the hit TV series "Gossip Girl" from 2007 to 2012. Her film credits include "The Town" and "The Shallows."
Baldoni is best known for his starring role in the TV comedy "Jane the Virgin" and directed the 2019 film "Five Feet Apart.” He also authored "Man Enough," a book that challenges conventional ideas about masculinity.