The legal conflict between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has finally ended.
The two actors starred in the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us, a romantic drama whose story involves an abusive relationship. Several months after the movie's theatrical release in August 2024, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during the making of the film, and that when she spoke up about it, he and his publicists orchestrated a digital smear campaign against her. Baldoni has denied these accusations.
18 months later, per Variety, the contentious lawsuit has now reached a settlement two weeks before a federal trial. Read Lively and Baldoni's joint statement on the matter below:
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. 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 timeline for Lively and Baldoni's legal dispute began in December 2024 when she filed an administrative complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, but rumors of the feud and claims about what really happened on the It Ends With Us set had already been circulating online for months. The end of 2024 also saw a New York Times article published that featured texts from Baldoni's publicists, their responses to Lively's allegations, including the message "We can bury anyone."
After that, Baldoni began a defamation lawsuit, which went on to be thrown out due to legal protections for covering litigation. In early April 2026, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of Lively's 13 civil claims, which includes all her claims of harassment. The three lingering claims were retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of contract, which were to be decided by a jury.
Despite the majority of Lively's claims being dismissed, her attorney, Sigrid McCawley, previously indicated that the actor had already got what she wanted by making the public aware of Baldoni's alleged harassment and those who attempted to protect his image: "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.”
On Instagram, Lively had confirmed that her goal was not to create a drawn-out lawsuit, but to expose the retaliation against her, to create safer workplace environments, and to encourage others to speak up: “The last thing I wanted in my life was a lawsuit, but I brought this case because of the pervasive retaliation I faced, and continue to, for privately and professionally asking for a safe working environment for myself and others. I hope the Court’s decision shows others that, as unfathomably painful as it is, you can speak up.”
In November 2025, Hoover addressed Lively and Baldoni's legal battle: “I feel like [the lawsuit] has overshadowed it. I’m almost embarrassed to say I wrote it. When people ask what I do, I’m just like, ‘I’m a writer. Please don’t ask me what I wrote.’” Baldoni not only played one of the leading roles but directed the film as well.
Prior to the lawsuit overshadowing the movie itself, it was a massive box office success that grossed more than $351 million worldwide and holds an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. With a 55% score from critics, their reviews of It Ends With Us were more mixed, some of which was because of criticism of how the adaptation handled the sensitive topic of abusive relationships. This only became more controversial due to the real-life allegations that were later made about sexual harassment occurring during production.
Now that a settlement has been reached, focus will gradually shift to what Lively and Baldoni will do next. It was announced in August 2025 that Blake Lively will star in the romantic comedy film The Survival List. Justin Baldoni does not have any confirmed future movie or TV projects as of this writing.
-
- Birthdate
- August 25, 1987
- Birthplace
- Tarzana, California, USA
- Height
- 5 feet 10 inches
- Notable Projects
- The Age of Adaline, The Shallows, Green Lantern
- Professions
- Actress, Model
Discover the latest news and filmography for Blake Lively, known for Gossip Girl and A Simple Favor.
-
Justin Baldoni
- Birthdate
- January 24, 1984
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Notable Projects
- Jane the Virgin, It Ends With Us