Settlement Reached Ahead of Trial for It Ends With Us Stars
With just two weeks remaining before their scheduled trial, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the stars of “It Ends With Us,” announced a surprise settlement on Monday. This development marks the conclusion of a legal dispute that has unfolded in courts and captured headlines for over a year and a half.
Lawyers for Lively and Baldoni’s co-stars were engaged in ongoing discussions about key pretrial issues before a federal judge. However, negotiations to resolve the case took a serious turn last month, following a judge’s dismissal of most of Lively’s claims, as reported by sources familiar with the situation. Teams from both sides reportedly met over the weekend to finalize the settlement agreement, which was signed on Monday. The specific terms of the agreement have not been made public.
By Monday evening, when Lively and Baldoni’s legal representatives released a joint statement, Lively was spotted looking radiant at the Met Gala. Dressed in an eye-catching ensemble, she smiles and greeted fans as she made her way up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
This appearance represented an unofficial new chapter for Lively. Her personal life, including her marriage to Ryan Reynolds and friendship with Taylor Swift, remains in the spotlight amid ongoing discussions surrounding the Baldoni controversy.
In December 2024, Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint, alleging that Baldoni had repeatedly crossed boundaries during intimate scenes while filming the movie, which was released in August 2024. The film is based on Colleen Hoover’s popular novel and explores an abusive relationship involving Lively’s character, Lily Bloom, and Baldoni’s character, neurosurgeon Lyle Kincaid. Baldoni had optioned the film with Wayfarer Studios in 2019 and later took on both directing and starring roles, while Lively served as a producer.
Additionally, Lively alleged that Wayfarer Studios retaliated against her following her complaints of misconduct on set. Both Baldoni and Wayfarer categorically denied all of Lively’s allegations.
In January 2025, Baldoni filed a countersuit against Lively and Reynolds for defamation and extortion. He claimed they attempted to damage his reputation and asserted that Lively’s allegations were a means to “take control” of the film, co-produced by Wayfarer and Columbia Pictures. Baldoni also initiated a libel lawsuit against The New York Times in relation to an article entitled, “‘Anyone Can Bury’: Inside Hollywood’s Slander Machine.” However, these lawsuits were dismissed by Judge Louis J. Lehman last year.
Despite the settlement, the legal saga surrounding the stars persists, with a trial still set for May 18th. Lively’s original lawsuit consisted of 13 allegations, including sexual harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, combating employment discrimination based on sex and other factors. She sought unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Last month, Judge Lehman dismissed ten of Lively’s claims against Baldoni, including harassment and defamation, but upheld three others: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation. Later that month, attorneys for both parties presented various expert witness testimonies for consideration in the pretrial hearing, which was scheduled for Friday.
In a joint statement released on Monday, Baldoni and Lively’s attorneys—Brian Friedman, Erin Garofalo, Michael Gottlieb, and Esra Hudson—expressed their pride in the final film, “Seraph of the End,” reiterating their commitment to raising awareness about domestic violence and supporting all survivors.
