After almost two years of lengthy legal battle and public acrimony, actor Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni agreed to settle their case. The legal battle pertained to the controversial production of their 2024 film It Ends With Us. Reports say the settlement will benefit both stars, who could have seen damaging information come to light if the case went to trial.
Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni settle legal battle
On Monday, Blake and Baldoni 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. AP and AFP reported that the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
What was the case around It Ends With Us?
In 2024, right after the release of their romantic drama, It Ends With Us, Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni and his company Wayfarer Studios, after accusing him of sexually harassing her on the movie set. In her suit, she claimed that Baldoni conspired with publicists to preemptively destroy her reputation.
Weeks later, Baldoni countersued Blake and her husband, famous actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them and their publicist of defamation and extortion. Baldoni claimed that the complaints about his behaviour were made up by Lively as part of an effort to seize creative control of the movie.
How the settlement avoids more damage
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 Baldoni’s defamation and extortion lawsuit. In April, he threw out Lively’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.
About It Ends With Us
It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel, centres on a relationship that devolves into domestic violence. Released in August 2024, the film starred Blake and Justin and was directed by the latter. The film exceeded box-office expectations upon release, despite criticism that it glorified abuse. However, its two stars’ fractious fallout took attention away from the film, overshadowing its message and success.