Summary:
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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle legal dispute over film “It Ends With Us” before trial. No money exchanged.
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Settlement ends years-long legal battle, with both parties expressing pride in the movie’s impact on domestic violence awareness.
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Lively alleged $161 million loss due to smear campaign, while Baldoni denied allegations and filed countersuits.
It ends with a settlement.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have officially ended their years-long legal war over the 2024 film “It Ends With Us,” attorneys for both sides announced Monday.
The deal arrives just two weeks before the case was scheduled to head to trial on May 18.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, though TMZ reported that no money is changing hands between the two stars. Lively had previously alleged she lost $161 million as a result of what she described as a smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni and his team.
In a joint statement released Monday, attorneys 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 continued, acknowledging that the production presented challenges and that concerns raised by Lively deserved to be heard. Both sides expressed hope that the resolution would bring closure and allow everyone involved to move forward, including in online spaces.
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Lively first filed a complaint against Baldoni in December 2024, accusing the director and co-star of sexual harassment on set and alleging that he and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, retaliated against her after she raised concerns. Baldoni denied the allegations and countersued Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, in January 2025 for defamation and extortion. He also sued The New York Times over its reporting on the case.
Both of Baldoni’s suits were later dismissed by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman. Last month, Liman also dismissed the majority of Lively’s claims, including those for sexual harassment, defamation and civil conspiracy, while allowing claims for retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation and breach of contract to proceed to trial.
The case generated extensive coverage throughout 2025 and into 2026, with unsealed communications offering a rare look at private exchanges between A-list figures. The fallout has reverberated across Hollywood, with Baldoni being dropped by talent agency WME and losing his Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices Global Partnership.
“It Ends With Us,” based on the bestselling Colleen Hoover novel, grossed more than $350 million worldwide following its August 2024 release.
