NEW YORK — Actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni agreed on Monday, May 4, 2026, to settle their civil lawsuits over the production of the 2024 film “It Ends with Us,” avoiding a trial scheduled later this month in New York City.
The settlement ends legal claims filed by Lively against Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, and countersuits filed by Baldoni and others related to allegations arising from the film’s production.
Both parties issued a joint statement through their attorneys, saying they aimed to support awareness of domestic violence issues and to allow those involved to move forward. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Lively filed her lawsuit in late 2024, alleging harassment and retaliation during the production of “It Ends with Us.” Baldoni denied the allegations and filed a separate lawsuit accusing Lively and others, including actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.
A federal judge previously dismissed parts of both cases in separate rulings. The court removed Baldoni’s defamation and extortion claims and later dismissed Lively’s sexual harassment claims, finding that she did not qualify as an employee under federal law in the context of the production.
The trial had been scheduled to begin with jury selection on May 18, 2026.
The dispute centered on events during the filming of “It Ends with Us,” which was released in August 2024. Lively alleged misconduct during production and claimed retaliation after raising concerns. Baldoni denied the allegations and said the actions reflected standard creative decisions during filmmaking.
The case also included claims that public relations efforts targeted public perception of the actors through social media activity and media outreach. Both sides denied wrongdoing in those allegations.
The film, adapted from the novel by Colleen Hoover, depicts a relationship involving domestic violence. The release of the film drew commercial attention, but the legal dispute later overshadowed its promotion and reception.
