Lively and Baldoni reach settlement in harassment lawsuit dispute
Lively and Baldoni settle harassment lawsuit from It Ends With Us production dispute.
Event / Politics
Blake Lively Justin Baldoni Lawsuit
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, co-stars of the 2024 film It Ends With Us, settled a lawsuit on May 4, 2026, following court-ordered mediation. Lively had accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on set and alleged he orchestrated a coordinated smear campaign against her in retaliation. Baldoni countersued for defamation and extortion, but his countersuit was dismissed in June 2025. A federal judge had previously dismissed most of Lively's claims in May 2025, allowing only breach of contract and retaliation claims to proceed to trial. The settlement terms were not disclosed.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 5 May, 00:07 UTC
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What happened
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle sexual harassment lawsuit
Hollywood actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni reached an out-of-court settlement on May 4, 2026, ending their legal dispute. The settlement amount was not disclosed. Both parties issued a joint statement acknowledging the difficulties of the proceedings and recognizing that Lively's concerns deserved to be heard.
Blake Lively accuses Justin Baldoni of reputation damage campaign
In her complaint, Blake Lively alleged that Justin Baldoni conducted a campaign intended to damage her reputation in response to her concerns about inappropriate conduct during the filming of 'Never Just Friends'.
Blake Lively files sexual harassment complaint against Justin Baldoni
In December 2025, actress Blake Lively filed a complaint against actor and director Justin Baldoni alleging inappropriate behavior and sexual comments during filming of the 2024 film 'Never Just Friends'. Lively accused Baldoni of attempting to add explicit sexual scenes to the script that were not originally included and were not approved.
Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios file countersuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Justin Baldoni and studio Wayfarer filed a countersuit against Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging extortion and defamation. Judge Liman rejected these accusations in the previous year, weakening Baldoni's legal position.
Blake Lively appears at Met Gala following settlement announcement
Hours after the announcement of the settlement agreement, Blake Lively made a notable appearance at the Met Gala in New York, wearing a spectacular ball gown.
Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment on It Ends With Us set
Blake Lively filed a federal lawsuit in December 2024 accusing Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment during the production of It Ends With Us. Lively alleged that Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance and weight, inserted improvised sexual content without consent, kissed her without permission, and discussed his pornography addiction. Baldoni directed the film and co-starred opposite Lively.
It Ends With Us film grossed $350 million worldwide
The 2024 film It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2016 bestselling novel, exceeded box office expectations and grossed $350 million worldwide. The film was released in August 2024 and was the first Colleen Hoover adaptation to hit theaters. While initially a box office success, the film's reception was later overshadowed by the legal conflict between its stars and allegations of on-set misconduct.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle lawsuit over It Ends With Us
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni reached a settlement in their lawsuit regarding the 2024 film It Ends With Us. The settlement was announced on May 4, 2026, after a court-ordered mediation session. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Both parties issued a joint statement expressing commitment to workplaces free of improprieties and stating their hope that the settlement brings closure to all involved.
Federal judge dismissed most of Lively's claims against Baldoni
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed 10 of 13 claims in Blake Lively's December 2024 lawsuit against Justin Baldoni. The judge threw out allegations of sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. However, the judge allowed three claims to proceed to trial: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation. Judge Liman ruled that Lively could not pursue harassment claims under federal law because she was an independent contractor rather than an employee on the film.
Justin Baldoni filed $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
In January 2025, Justin Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others. Baldoni alleged defamation and extortion, claiming that Lively and Reynolds attempted to destroy his reputation and that Lively used her harassment grievances as a way to seize creative control of the film. A judge dismissed Baldoni's countersuit in June 2025.
Lively alleged Baldoni orchestrated coordinated smear campaign against her
Blake Lively alleged that after she raised concerns about sexual harassment, Justin Baldoni and his team of publicists launched a coordinated digital smear campaign in retaliation. According to Lively's lawsuit, the campaign was designed to damage her reputation, harmed her businesses, and caused her family severe emotional harm. She claimed the campaign generated more than 176 million negative impressions about her online.
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Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios countersue Lively and Reynolds
Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios file countersuit against Lively and Reynolds over harassment allegations.
It Ends With Us reaches $350 million at global box office
It Ends With Us reached $350 million in worldwide box office revenue.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle harassment lawsuit over It Ends With Us
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle lawsuit over It Ends With Us allegations.