Baldoni and Wife Address Legal Battle Fallout
Justin Baldoni, the 42-year-old actor and director best known for Jane the Virgin, has broken his silence alongside his wife Emily in a lengthy Instagram video, speaking about the 'trauma and healing' after settling his high-profile legal dispute with Hollywood star Blake Lively. The couple released the nearly five-minute video on Wednesday night, marking their first public comments on the matter in nearly two years.
The legal battle stemmed from Lively's claims that Baldoni harassed her and coordinated a campaign to damage her reputation after she privately accused him of sexual harassment on the set of their 2024 film It Ends With Us. Baldoni, who directed, produced, and starred in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, denied all allegations. The two sides reached a settlement in May 2026, avoiding a planned trial.
Video Message: 'Healing Isn't Linear'
In the video, Baldoni began by explaining their prolonged silence: 'So, we have not spoken publicly for the better part of the last two years, and it's not because we haven't had anything to say, because Lord knows we have. But it just felt like every time we went to make a video like this, we wanted to speak, something was telling us not to. It just didn't feel like the right time. But we were talking about it and feeling into it and praying about it.'
Emily, a Swedish actress aged 41 and his wife of nearly 13 years, added that now 'feels like the moment' and that there is 'so much to say.' She expressed 'immense gratitude' for the people in their lives but noted that 'doesn't negate the injustice and the pain that we have also felt in the last few years. We've had to wrestle with so many things and try to understand so many things, like how could something like this even happen? Let alone disguised as a fight for women. So much to unpack.'
Family Trauma and Healing Process
Emily also revealed that 'there has been a lot of trauma for us to move through as a family,' which made it difficult for them to speak out earlier. Baldoni told his four million Instagram followers: 'We don't even know this is the right thing to say, but we just know we need to share something. What I will say, is that there have been so many painful things that have been spoken into existence over the last couple years. That created so much noise, and we didn't want to add to the noise. So we just wanted to let the justice system run its course.'
He continued: 'So how are we doing? We are healing, and if you've ever been through something traumatic, you know that healing isn't linear. It looks different every day, and we have had to rethink for ourselves what is real and what matters. It's this. It's our family, it's our friends, it's our community, who have been there for us, it's our faith.'
Legal Background and Settlement Details
Lively, 38, filed her legal claim against Baldoni and several others tied to the romantic drama in late 2024. Baldoni countersued Lively and her husband, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and extortion, but his case was later dismissed. The two sides settled their legal dispute in May 2026. According to reports, Lively has since filed for $8 million in fees and costs resulting from the lengthy legal battle.
Baldoni and his wife concluded the video by thanking their supporters, friends, and family for their unwavering support during the ordeal.
