Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have officially settled their legal dispute over the film ‘It Ends With Us’. The two reached a settlement on Monday, meaning a planned trial will no longer go ahead.
Luka Geets
Journalist at HLN
Source: Reuters
The conflict arose after allegations from Lively that Baldoni – who directed and starred in the film – sexually harassed her during filming. According to her, he and publicists then tried to damage her reputation when she complained about it internally.
Baldoni always denied the allegations. He claimed that Lively had fabricated the complaints to gain more creative control over the film.
In a joint statement, both parties announced that they want to close the file. “Creating awareness and making a meaningful impact on the lives of victims of domestic violence – and all survivors – is a cause we support. We hope this gives everyone the opportunity to move forward with peace and respect, including online.”
Painful details
The settlement prevents a lawsuit that could have revealed painful details about the film production. In recent months, a judge had already dropped several parts of the case. For example, Lively’s sexual harassment charges were dismissed because the judge ruled she worked as an independent contractor and not an employee.
A counter-suit by Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds – for defamation and extortion – was also previously dismissed.
Based on the popular 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover, “It Ends With Us” hit theaters in August 2024 and exceeded expectations at the box office.
In her original complaint, Lively alleged that Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance, crossed physical boundaries during a love scene and insisted on nudity in a childbirth scene. Baldoni insisted that his approach was within the normal creative process of filmmaking.
The planned lawsuit would mainly revolve around Lively’s claim that Baldoni and the studio had mounted a media campaign against her after her complaints, including through negative messages on social media.
With the settlement, one of Hollywood’s most bitter film feuds in recent years seems to be closed for the time being.
