Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni settle legal fight over It Ends With Us filming

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni ended their legal fight over the filming of It Ends With Us on Monday, sidestepping a civil trial that had been set for later in May and closing off what could have been a damaging public airing of internal disputes, testimony and production records. The settlement terms were not disclosed.

The case had become one of Hollywood’s most closely watched legal battles because both sides had been preparing to testify over Lively’s allegations that Baldoni engaged in sexual misconduct on set and then faced claims that a retaliatory smear campaign followed. By settling before trial, the two actors avoided the discovery fights and witness testimony that often turn entertainment disputes into reputational crises for studios, talent and their business partners.

Lively filed suit in December 2024 against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and others, accusing them of harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy and civil-rights violations. Baldoni denied wrongdoing and responded with his own sweeping defamation claims, including a $400 million countersuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times. That countersuit was dismissed before the settlement, and on April 2, 2026, a federal judge in New York narrowed Lively’s case significantly, dismissing most of her claims and leaving only retaliation-related allegations to move toward trial.

The legal clash had been building toward a federal civil trial in New York and included a settlement conference at the U.S. District Court in New York City on February 11, 2026. The resolution now spares both sides from further sworn testimony and keeps more of the conflict out of open court, a result that matters in an industry where litigation can threaten brands as much as box-office receipts.

That concern was sharpened by the size of the film at the center of the dispute. It Ends With Us, released in August 2024 and made for about $25 million, grossed more than $351 million worldwide, making it a major commercial success even as the off-screen fight escalated. For Hollywood, the settlement is another sign that reputational risk is often managed by shutting down a case before discovery can force more of the production’s internal workings into the public record.