Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached a settlement in their ongoing lawsuit over It Ends With Us, TheWrap has learned. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Lively had accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during the production of their 2024 film “It Ends With Us” in a lawsuit filed in December 2024. She also alleged that after she raised concerns, Baldoni and his team of publicists launched a coordinated digital smear campaign in retaliation, which she said impacted her financially and professionally.
In January 2025, Justin Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and others, alleging defamation, extortion and additional claims. A judge dismissed Baldoni’s case 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,” representatives for both parties said in a joint statement. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors – and all survivors – is a goal that we stand behind. We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard. 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.”
The settlement comes just over a month after Judge Lewis J. Liman threw out 10 of the 13 claims from Lively’s December 2024 lawsuit, first published in the New York Times. The ruling allowed three claims to proceed to trial, including breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting retaliation. Lively’s claims of defamation, conspiracy and harassment against Baldoni were, however, tossed out by the judge. The remaining claims were to be decided by a jury, with jury selection set to begin on May 18.
In response to the ruling at the time, Sigrid McCawley, a member of Lively’s legal team, told TheWrap, “This case has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively’s reputation because she stood up for safety on the set and that is the case that is going to trial. For Blake Lively, the greatest measure of justice is that the people and the playbook behind these coordinated digital attacks have been exposed and are already being held accountable by other women they’ve targeted. She looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation so that it becomes easier to detect and fight.”
“Sexual harassment isn’t going forward not because the defendants did nothing wrong but because the court determined Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee,” she further noted.
Baldoni’s legal team then issued the following statement: “Since the first day of this case, when Justin and the other defendants were blindsighted by these allegations, the legal team on the ground from the beginning have worked extremely long days and nights defending this case through transparency by releasing the actual truthful text messages, and by welcoming and facilitating the release of all documents exhibiting the truth. The defendants were not afraid of the truth. The plan was not only to speak the truth but to also show that same truth over and over again through the presentation of actual evidence. Neither Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath nor any of the other defendants have engaged in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively.”
The “Gossip Girl” star accused Baldoni, the director and male lead of the Colleen Hoover adaptation, of sexually harassing her on set by making unwelcome comments about her appearance and weight. She also alleged that Baldoni hired a team of publicists to amplify negative content about her online. Lively specifically argued that the campaign generated more than 176 million negative impressions about her. The judge ruled that allegations involving damage to Lively’s career could potentially constitute illegal retaliation.
In January 2025, Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, accusing the actress, her husband Ryan Reynolds and others of defamation, extortion and additional claims. A judge dismissed the case in June 2025.
The year-and-a-half-long legal battle involved a series of mudslinging attempts on both sides, which ultimately overshadowed the film and made it as well known for its behind-the-scenes conflict as for what appeared on screen. “It Ends With Us” was the first Colleen Hoover adaptation to hit theaters and grossed $350 million worldwide. While the film was a box office success, its reception was later overshadowed by rumors of a rift between the stars and alleged on-set misconduct. The case was set to go to trial in late May. The co-stars attended multiple mediation sessions with a magistrate judge, which ultimately led to the settlement.
