Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached a settlement agreement in their legal battle.
The 38-year-old actress and Justin, 42, have been locked in a high-profile legal dispute since December 2024, after they starred together in It Ends With Us, their romantic-drama film, but they’ve now reached an out-of-court settlement, two weeks before both parties were set to go to trial in New York.
A joint statement reads: “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 recognise 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.”
Terms of the settlement have not been made public. However, the trial – which was due to begin in New York later this month – has now been scrapped.
The legal dispute began in December 2024, when Blake accused Justin – who also directed It Ends With Us – of sexual harassment and co-ordinating a smear campaign against her.
Justin – who played Blake’s on-screen love interest in the movie – and his Wayfarer Studios production company subsequently countersued the actress and her husband, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing the Hollywood couple of defamation and extortion.
In April, a judge dismissed Blake’s sexual harassment claims in her lawsuit. District Judge Lewis Liman threw out most of the claims in the lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds.
The judge determined that Blake was an independent contractor rather than an employee, meaning she could not bring sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans workplace discrimination on the basis of gender.
Prior to that, Justin’s claims against Blake and Ryan, 49, of defamation and extortion were dismissed by a judge.
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