Actor Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battle over It Ends With Us is far from over, with Blake’s legal team now pursuing damages and legal fees from Justin’s side over his defamation countersuit, which has since been dismissed.
Blake Lively seeks damages from Justin Baldoni
According to Radar, Blake and parties linked to Wayfarer Studios have settled nearly all claims in their explosive It Ends With Us legal feud. However, the actor is still seeking punitive damages and attorneys’ fees in an ongoing dispute, which she claims arose from a “retaliatory” lawsuit.
In newly filed court documents, Blake and the defendants, including Wayfarer Studios, Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel, and The Agency Group PR LLC, executed a settlement agreement aimed at ending most of the sprawling litigation.
The filing mentioned that the parties “have fully and finally resolved all claims” in the consolidated action except for one remaining issue, which is tied to California Civil Code Section 47.1.
The unresolved portion revolves around Blake’s request for attorneys’ fees, compensatory damages, treble damages, and punitive damages connected to what her legal team describes as a retaliatory legal action filed against her after she allegedly raised harassment and retaliation concerns involving the production of It Ends With Us.
The latest filing states that California lawmakers introduced Section 47.1 to shield individuals who publicly speak out about alleged sexual assault, harassment, discrimination, or retaliation from being targeted with retaliatory defamation lawsuits.
According to the documents, Blake is seeking not only attorneys’ fees and legal costs, but also compensatory damages that could be tripled under the law along with the punitive damages.
Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni go for settlement
On Monday, it seemed the legal dispute between It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni had been officially resolved when the two sides reached a settlement deal.
The legal battle began in 2024 when Blake sued Justin, accusing him of harassment and a smear campaign on the set of their hit movie. He denied it and counter-sued.
On Monday, Blake and Justin settled their civil case and issued a joint statement in which they discussed ‘moving forward’. “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 two Hollywood stars said in a joint statement issued through their lawyers.
“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 further read.
The settlement comes just two weeks before the case would have gone to trial. AFP reported that the case was poised to spotlight the ugly side of show business and potentially yield more image-damaging revelations.
Additionally, a federal judge in Manhattan had dismissed some claims from each of the actors. Last June, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Justin Baldoni’s defamation and extortion lawsuit. In April, he threw out Blake’s sexual harassment claims. However, Blake’s claims about retaliation were set to go to trial, potentially harming Justin Baldoni. Jury selection for the trial was scheduled to begin on May 18. AP and AFP reported that the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.