Well, it’s finally over. After nearly two years of court battles and public feuding, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have resolved their legal differences with…a settlement. This comes just weeks before a federal trial was to begin.
It Finally Ends
In a joint statement, which feels very carefully worded, the two sides said: “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 terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed.
At the end of the day, it’s millions of dollars spent on legal battles, and the reputations of both parties have been dragged through the mud. I’ll be curious to see what the next steps are and how the careers of Lively and Baldoni might bounce back, if they ever will. But, if I’m being perfectly honest, I look forward to never having to write about this case again.
What The Legal Battle Was About
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni starred together in It Ends With Us, and during the production of the film, Lively accused him of sexual harassment. What followed was (and continues to be) a dirty legal battle with each side firing off lawsuits against the other. Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation, extortion, and other complaints. It was later dismissed. Lively also alleged that Baldoni was behind the release of many negative stories about her through an army of publicists.
Last month, Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of the 13 claims in Lively’s lawsuit, which included her claims of harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. The judge found that Lively was not eligible to pursue a sexual harassment claim under federal law because she worked as an independent contractor. He also determined that a California harassment claim was not valid, since the production was filmed in New Jersey. Liman did allow three claims—breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation—to proceed to trial, but that’s not happening.
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What’s Not Allowed