Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni settle lawsuit over ‘It Ends With Us’

NEW YORK — Actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni on Monday agreed to settle their contentious lawsuit over their 2024 film “It Ends With Us,” avoiding what was shaping up to be an acrimonious trial.

The movie, released in August 2024 and starring Lively and Baldoni as romantic partners whose relationship turns abusive, was based on a Colleen Hoover novel, The Washington Post reported.

Lively, 38, had accused Baldoni, who also directed the movie, of sexual harassment on the set of the film, according to Variety. She alleged that when she raised complaints about it, Baldoni and his publicists retaliated with a smear campaign.

She filed suit against Baldoni, 42, and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, the Post reported.

Two weeks later, Baldoni sued Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, for $400 million for defamation, according to the newspaper. Baldoni alleged that Lively had wrested control of the movie and attempted to destroy the careers of him and his colleagues.

The civil case was settled two weeks before it was scheduled to go to trial in New York, The Associated Press reported.

The terms of the settlement were not revealed.

In a joint statement released on Monday by the actors’ attorneys, Lively and Baldoni said it was time to move on.

“The parties in the Blake Lively and Wayfarer Studios litigation have reached an agreement to resolve the matters,” the statement 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 settlement comes approximately a month after Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of Lively’s civil claims, including all of them involving harassment, Variety reported. The ruling left three other claims -- retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of contract -- to be decided by a jury.

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