Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have settled their legal dispute arising from the acrimonious production of the 2024 film It Ends With Us, just weeks before a scheduled trial. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
In a joint statement released on Monday, legal representatives for both parties said: “The end product – the movie It Ends With Us – is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. 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 statement added: “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognise concerns raised by Ms Lively deserved to be heard.”
Lively, who starred in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, accused Baldoni – the film’s director and co-star – of sexual harassment and fostering a hostile work environment during production in a December 2024 complaint. She also alleged that his production company, Wayfarer Studios, retaliated against her after she raised concerns.
Baldoni subsequently filed a $400m counter-defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, as well as a $250m lawsuit against The New York Times over an article titled “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine”. He claimed Lively and Reynolds attempted to tarnish his reputation to “seize control” of the film.
In the lead-up to the trial, a US district judge dismissed several claims from both sides. Lively withdrew two emotional distress claims in June 2025, and Judge Lewis Liman dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuits against Lively and Reynolds, and against The New York Times. In April, Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 allegations, leaving only breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation to be heard before the case was ultimately settled.
