Blake Lively sued It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation connected to the film. Baldoni denied her allegations. A judge dismissed Lively’s sexual-harassment claims in April 2026, and the parties settled the remaining claims before trial. A later court order awarded Lively attorneys’ fees and costs but denied additional damages; public sources cited here do not establish whether the settlement itself included a payment.
What happened between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni?
Lively’s dispute with Baldoni arose during production of the 2024 film It Ends With Us, in which they co-starred. On December 20, 2024, Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department alleging, among other things, sexual harassment and retaliation. After receiving a right-to-sue notice, she filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on December 31, 2024. The case was docketed as No. 24-cv-10049. The court’s June 12, 2026 decision recounts the filing history and later proceedings.
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Lively alleged that Baldoni and others engaged in sexual harassment during production and retaliated after she raised concerns, including through an effort to damage her reputation. Those were allegations, not findings that the conduct occurred. Baldoni denied harassing Lively or orchestrating a smear campaign. The Associated Press reported his position that Lively’s complaints were part of an effort to gain creative control of the film; that assertion was also a party’s position, not an established finding. The AP’s June 1, 2026 hearing report describes the parties’ positions.
What claims did the judge dismiss?
On April 2, 2026, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Lively’s sexual-harassment claims. The AP reported that, for purposes of Title VII, the judge treated Lively as an independent contractor rather than an employee. The ruling addressed the legal claims and employment-status issue; it was not a jury verdict resolving the entire factual dispute. The AP’s account of the ruling says three claims remained: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation.
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There was also a separate lawsuit brought by Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer, and related parties. Their amended complaint included claims such as defamation. On June 9, 2025, the court dismissed that complaint. It dismissed the defamation claim against Lively with prejudice, finding that the fair-report privilege applied to her providing her California Civil Rights Department complaint to The New York Times. The court also found the other allegations against her insufficient on the grounds set out in its opinion. That dismissal was not a trial verdict establishing every underlying factual dispute.
Did Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle?
Yes. Lawyers announced a settlement on May 4, 2026, before the Lively action’s scheduled May 18 trial. The court records that the parties filed a notice of settlement and a joint stipulation dismissing the action on May 7, while preserving Lively’s pending motion under California Civil Code Section 47.1. The parties’ lawyers said: “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.” That joint statement was not an admission of liability or a court finding. The Los Angeles Times reported the settlement announcement and statement.
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The settlement ended the remaining Lively claims without a trial. It does not, by itself, establish that either side’s account was proven.
Did the settlement include a payment?
The public sources cited here do not establish whether the settlement included a payment or disclose other financial terms. The joint statement did not specify a payment, and the AP reported at the June 1 hearing that the settlement terms had not been announced publicly. Do not confuse those undisclosed settlement terms with the separate fee-and-cost award the judge issued afterward.
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What did the later fee ruling decide?
On June 12, 2026, Judge Liman granted Lively attorneys’ fees and costs under California Civil Code Section 47.1, while denying her requests for treble and punitive damages. The written order states, “The motion is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART.” The court concluded the Wayfarer parties had not carried their burden of showing that the statutory privilege was defeated by malice on the record before it. This was a ruling about entitlement to fees and costs under that statute, not a finding that every allegation in Lively’s original complaint was proven.
The AP reported that the court awarded $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs, compared with Lively’s request for $8 million. Those are amounts from the court’s fee ruling, not a disclosed settlement payment. The AP’s report on the fee ruling gives the awarded amounts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is It Ends With Us about in the case’s context?
It Ends With Us is a 2024 film starring Lively and Baldoni, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel. The AP described the film’s opening debut as $50 million; the Los Angeles Times reported a worldwide gross of $350 million. These are different measures attributed to different publications, and neither figure represents legal damages or settlement terms.
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