Blake Lively has unexpectedly ended her two-year legal battle with Justin Baldoni's production company, Wayfarer Studios, and his PR firm, just two weeks before the case was set to go to trial, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal. The 38-year-old actress reached a settlement over claims of retaliation and breach of contract.
Joint Statement Highlights
In a joint statement, both sides acknowledged that the filming of the movie 'presented challenges' and that Lively's 'concerns deserved to be heard.' However, no apology was included in the statement, which concluded a legal dispute that began in December 2024 when Lively filed her lawsuit. Instead, the teams expressed their 'sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.'
Legal Proceedings and Dismissals
The settlement followed a judge's decision last month to gut Lively's case, dismissing 10 of her 13 claims, including all sexual harassment allegations. This ruling removed Baldoni as a named defendant. The remaining claims against Wayfarer Studios, the production company set up for 'It Ends With Us,' and TAG PR, Baldoni's public relations agency, were scheduled for trial over an alleged 'smear campaign' against Lively after she spoke out. Baldoni and Wayfarer had countersued Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and extortion, but those claims were dismissed last June.
Financial Disputes
Lively's team alleged she lost tens of millions in endorsements and suffered nine-figure hits to earnings and profits, figures Wayfarer's side dismissed as wildly inflated. Attorney Amir Kaltgrad argued the numbers were 'pie in the sky,' broken down as $143 million in lost profits, $132 million in lost earnings, and several million more for lost endorsements. He claimed calculations from Lively's experts were speculative, with one making an 'unrealistic assumption' about her future workload after 'It Ends With Us.'
Film Background
'It Ends With Us,' an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling 2016 novel about a romance turning into domestic violence, was released in August 2024. It exceeded box office expectations with a $50 million debut but was overshadowed by speculation about discord between Lively and Baldoni.
