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The legal battle between \u201cIt Ends With Us\u201d co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni will no longer go to trial after they reached a settlement deal that their lawyers announced Monday.
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The two effectively ended their yearslong legal dispute after a court-ordered settlement conference last week. The terms of the settlement were not made public.
They were set to head to trial this month.
Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during the production of the 2024 movie \u201cIt Ends With Us,\u201d which he directed. Lively has also alleged that Baldoni\u2019s production company, Wayfarer Studios, retaliated against her after she complained about allegations of misconduct on the set of the film.
Baldoni vehemently denied Lively\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n
“The end product \u2014 the movie \u2018It Ends With Us\u2019 \u2014 is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life,” Bryan Freedman, Ellyn Garofalo, Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, attorneys for Baldoni and Lively, said in a joint statement Monday. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors \u2014 and all survivors \u2014 is a goal that we stand behind.”
The lawyers said they “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,” the statement continued.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman tossed out most of Lively\u2019s claims<\/a> against Baldoni last month, including harassment, defamation and conspiracy. He allowed three of her claims to proceed to trial, including breach of contract and retaliation.
Lively went public with her allegations in December 2024, roughly four months after \u201cIt Ends With Us\u201d premiered in theaters. She first lodged a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, then filed a federal lawsuit.
The suit accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. In an amended complaint filed in February, Lively\u2019s lawyers alleged Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance, \u201cinserted improvised gratuitous sexual content,\u201d kissed her without her consent and discussed his pornography addiction.
Lively\u2019s lawyers also alleged that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios orchestrated a \u201ccarefully crafted, coordinated, and resourced retaliatory scheme to silence her, and others, from speaking out.\u201d
In January 2025, Baldoni countersued Lively and her husband, \u201cDeadpool\u201d actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation and extortion. He argued that Lively and Reynolds tried to wreck his reputation and accused her of using her grievances as a way to \u201cseize control\u201d of the movie.
Baldoni also brought a defamation suit against The New York Times over an article headlined: \u201c\u2018We Can Bury Anyone\u2019: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.\u201d Liman tossed out both suits<\/a> last year.
The highly publicized case has reverberated through Hollywood, exposing text messages between A-listers and uncomfortably candid studio business conversations that normally remain behind closed doors. It also subjected Lively and Baldoni to the broader culture war around sexual harassment.
Lively’s private communications were unsealed as part of her suit against Baldoni \u2014 including messages with Reynolds and pop star Taylor Swift.
Daniel Arkin is a senior reporter at NBC News.
Rebecca Keegan is the senior Hollywood reporter for NBC News Digital, where she covers the entertainment industry.
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n