‘It Ends With Us’ Settlement Postmortem: Blake Lively Made a Bold Wager on a Legal Theory and Lost
Blake Lively secured a partial victory after a judge ordered Justin Baldoni to cover her legal fees, but she received no financial damages. The settlement, finalized weeks before trial, ends most claims without Baldoni admitting liability. Both sides now aim to move forward, though the case hinged on a controversial legal theory. Lively’s defamation suit against Baldoni and his production company was largely dismissed.
What changed
A judge ruled Lively can recover legal costs from Baldoni, marking the first financial concession in a case that dragged on for nearly two years.
Live updates
-
Blake Lively Wins Legal Fees but No Damages in ‘It Ends With Us’ Settlement
confidence 97%Blake Lively secured a partial victory after a judge ordered Justin Baldoni to cover her legal fees, but she received no financial damages. The settlement, finalized weeks before trial, ends most claims without Baldoni admitting liability. Both sides now aim to move forward, though the case hinged on a controversial legal theory. Lively’s defamation suit against Baldoni and his production company was largely dismissed.
What's confirmed:
- Blake Lively was awarded legal fees by a judge in the dispute with Justin Baldoni, though no damages were granted.
- The settlement between Lively and Baldoni was reached days before the case was set to go to trial in June 2026.
- Justin Baldoni expressed disappointment the case did not proceed to trial, stating he wanted to ‘be heard’ in court.
- Lively’s lawsuit, filed in December 2024, accused Baldoni of defamation and other claims related to the *It Ends With Us* film adaptation.
- A judge dismissed most of Lively’s claims against Baldoni’s production company weeks before the settlement.
- The legal battle centered on a California law designed to curb frivolous defamation lawsuits, which Lively’s team argued in her favor.
- Baldoni’s legal team published the settlement terms, urging co-stars to ‘move on’ from the dispute.
- No financial compensation was awarded to Lively beyond legal fees, despite her initial claims for damages.
Still unconfirmed:
- Lively’s legal strategy relied on an ‘untested’ California law to challenge defamation claims, though its effectiveness remains debated.
- Baldoni reportedly sought to present his side in court to counter Lively’s allegations publicly.
- The full settlement terms remain partially undisclosed, with some details redacted or withheld from public records.