Every so often, the unpleasant underbelly of Hollywood gets exposed in the courts. One of these times was with the much publicised legal battles between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively around It Ends With Us.
A tit-for-tat gossip war, involving PAs, press releases, partners, rumor and innuendo is finally over after two years.
It alll started when Lively alleged sexual harassment and a smear campaign by Baldoni, who countered with a $400 million lawsuit alleging extortion and defamation.
Baldoni was absent from key PR and the premiere due to the dispute, leading to a split in promotion
Lively’s accusations, initially filed with the California Civil Rights Department in 2024, alleged that Baldoni created a hostile work environment, touched her inappropriately during scenes, and initiated a smear campaign.
Baldoni’s counterclaim, through his legal team, denied the allegations and claimed that Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and her team used a “digital army” and “manipulative” tactics to damage his reputation and seize creative control.
Following dismissal of a large part of both parties claims, the pair reached a settlement, avoiding a high-profile trial and a very public airing of all sorts of potentially salacious details.
A statement was issued by both parties on Monday, as carried by The Hollywood Reporter, where they praised It Ends With Us as a movie, acknowledges issues, and state that the settlement brings closure between the pair, allowing everyone to:
“…move forward constructively and in peace…”
The Hollywood rumor mill is now in overdrive, with all sorts of theories flying around, largely saying that both parties wished to avoid the publicity, and the huge cost, or a trial.
The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
