LOS ANGELES: Actor Blake Lively and filmmaker-actor Justin Baldoni have settled a high-profile lawsuit linked to the production of the 2024 film ‘It Ends With Us’, both sides said, averting a civil trial that had been scheduled for this month.
The settlement, announced in a joint statement that did not disclose terms, brings to a close more than a year of contentious litigation that drew widespread media attention.
Both parties said they hoped the agreement would bring “closure”.
Lively filed the lawsuit in December 2024 against Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios and others, alleging harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws.
She claimed the defendants created a sexually charged atmosphere during filming and later launched a smear campaign to silence her.
Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in It Ends With Us, denied the allegations.
He said he had addressed Lively’s concerns promptly and argued he was justified in hiring a crisis management firm after she publicly criticised him.
US District Judge Lewis Liman dismissed Lively’s sexual harassment claims on April 2.
However, her retaliation claims had been due to proceed to trial on May 18, where further details of the dispute could have emerged.
The dispute first became public in December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint with California’s civil rights authorities, followed by her lawsuit.
It drew further attention after a related article in The New York Times examined allegations of a Hollywood smear campaign.
Baldoni subsequently filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation and extortion.
Judge Liman dismissed the countersuit in June 2025. He also dismissed Baldoni’s defamation case against the New York Times.
Despite the settlement, Lively continues to pursue a separate motion seeking attorneys’ fees and damages linked to Baldoni’s dismissed countersuit, according to Variety.
Her legal team filed the motion under California’s Protecting Survivors from Weaponised Defamation Lawsuits Act, a 2023 law designed to protect sexual abuse accusers from retaliatory claims.
While the judge dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit, he did not rule on whether the law applied.
The court initially denied Lively’s request for fees and damages but allowed her to renew the motion, which she did in September 2025.
Baldoni’s legal team opposed the motion, arguing it infringed his constitutional right to petition the courts and that the law should not apply as the alleged incidents occurred in New York and New Jersey.
A ruling on the motion is still pending, and Lively has not withdrawn it, Variety reported.
It Ends With Us starred Lively as a flower shop owner who marries a neurosurgeon played by Baldoni.
Despite mixed reviews, the film grossed more than $351 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
According to reports cited by Page Six, the legal battle cost both sides a combined $60 million, with neither party receiving financial compensation in the settlement.
