Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni settle lawsuit over It Ends With Us
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Blake Lively (left) accused co-star and director Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment in connection with the filming of their 2024 romantic drama It Ends With Us.
PHOTOS: REUTERS
NEW YORK – Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have settled a lawsuit brought by Lively over the filming of the 2024 romantic drama It Ends With Us, Baldoni’s production company said on May 4. This averts a civil trial scheduled for May where both American actors were expected to testify about Lively’s allegations of sexual misconduct by Baldoni.
The settlement ends more than a year of acrimonious litigation that drew intense publicity as details of 38-year-old Lively’s allegations and 42-year-old Baldoni’s counterclaims trickled out in court filings.
A representative for the actress did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lively, widely known for starring in the TV series Gossip Girl (2007 to 2012), sued Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios and others in December 2024, seeking damages for alleged harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws.
She said the defendants created a sexually charged atmosphere during the movie’s production, then mounted a smear campaign to silence her.
Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in the film, countered that he quickly resolved Lively’s concerns and said he was entitled to hire a crisis management firm after she began disparaging him publicly.
US District Judge Lewis Liman dismissed Lively’s sexual harassment claims on April 2, but details of Baldoni’s allegations could have still emerged in the scheduled May 18 civil trial over her retaliation claims.
The dispute became public in December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by her lawsuit. A related article published in The New York Times was titled, ‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside A Hollywood Smear Machine.
Baldoni sued Lively and her husband, Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation, saying they tried to destroy his reputation, but Judge Liman dismissed that case in June. He also dismissed Baldoni’s defamation case against the Times.
It Ends With Us starred Lively as a flower shop owner who marries a neurosurgeon played by Baldoni.
Despite mixed reviews, the movie grossed more than US$351 million (S$447 million) worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. REUTERS
