Justin Baldoni’s lawyer is celebrating after reaching a settlement with Blake Lively in the duo’s lengthy legal battle.
“Let’s be clear, this is a win and total victory for the Wayfarer parties,” Bryan Freedman said in a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday, May 7. “The court had already dismissed 10 of Ms. Lively’s 13 claims, including every sexual harassment claim, every defamation claim, and all claims against the individual defendants.”
Freedman continued, “Ms. Lively voluntarily dismissed the rest. In our view, they settled because they knew they were going to lose in court. All that remains is a pending request for fees based on a very narrow issue that has been with the court since September 2025.”
News broke on Monday, May 4, that Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 42, settled their lawsuit after nearly two years, shortly before the pair were set to begin trial. Lively accused her It Ends With Us costar and director of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment and creating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni vehemently denied the allegations and countersued the actress. His lawsuit was dismissed in June 2025.
“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,” Lively and Baldoni said in a joint statement to Us via their attorneys on Monday. “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”
The statement continued, “We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”
Judge Lewis J. Liman previously recommended that both parties consider settling outside of court rather than going to trial. The duo were set to kick off court proceedings on May 18.
Lively subsequently filed a notice of settlement, according to docs obtained by Us on Thursday. In the filing, Lively requested damages to cover her attorneys’ fees and costs, as well as compensatory and punitive damages. She claimed that she is “entitled” to receive damages because of the “harm” she suffered as a result of Baldoni’s “retaliatory defamation action.”
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Lively’s attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson issued a statement following the new motion.
“This settlement is a resounding victory for Blake Lively,” they told Us on Thursday. “By agreeing to this settlement, and waiving their right to appeal, Justin Baldoni and every individual defendant now face personal liability for abusing the legal system to silence and intimidate Ms. Lively. And by admitting that Ms. Lively’s concerns ‘deserved to be heard,’ the defendants have ended once and for all the fiction that Ms. Lively ‘fabricated’ claims of sexual harassment and retaliation.”
The lawyers continued, “From day one, Blake Lively’s mission was clear: expose and hold accountable those who weaponize smear campaigns and retaliatory lawsuits to intimidate and silence survivors. That mission continues.”
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