The most watched legal disputes of Hollywood have massively come to an end, but the battle between the actor-director Justin Baldoni and actress Blake Lively is not over entirely. Principal lawsuits regarding the 2024 film “It Ends With Us” have been resolved through the confidential settlement, however, a judge still has to decide whether Wayfarer Studios and Baldoni should pay more than $8 million in legal fees requested by Lively.
In December 2024, Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and other defendants before pursuing a federal lawsuit. She said that Baldoni organised a campaign only to damage her reputation, she also said that he sexually harassed her, retaliated after raising the workplace concerns, created a hostile work environment, and disclosed nude images. However, Baldoni consistently denied all allegations.
The legal conflict escalated dramatically a month later. On January 16, 2025, Baldoni responded with a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloane and others. His complaint accused them of defamation, civil extortion, invasion of privacy and interference with his professional career. He maintained throughout the proceedings that the dispute centred on creative disagreements rather than misconduct and claimed that Lively’s allegations had been fabricated.
In June 2025, Lively voluntarily withdrew her claims for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress without prejudice. The move allowed her to preserve the option of reasserting those claims in the future if necessary while continuing with the remainder of her case.
Significant turning point came on June 9, 2025, when U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit. The court concluded that statements contained in Lively’s legal complaint were protected under legal privilege and ruled that Baldoni had failed to meet the legal threshold required to proceed with his defamation claims.
The Judge did not determine whether any of the underlying allegations made by either side were true. Instead, the ruling addressed only the legal standards governing Baldoni’s claims and the protections afforded to statements made during judicial proceedings.
As the lawsuit continued into 2026, additional court documents became public, including text messages involving singer Taylor Swift and deposition transcripts from actress Jenny Slate. The release of those materials generated renewed media attention but did not fundamentally alter the direction of the case.
Before the scheduled May 2026 trial could begin, both parties reached a confidential settlement that brought the principal litigation to a close. The agreement ended the case without a jury trial, judicial findings on the central allegations or an award of damages to either party. Both sides agreed to move forward, effectively closing one of Hollywood’s most public legal confrontations.
Despite the settlement, one crucial financial issue remains unresolved. On June 29, 2026, Lively asked the court to order Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to pay more than $8 million in attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses. Her request includes approximately $7.5 million in legal fees and more than $539,000 in additional litigation costs. Lively argues that Baldoni’s unsuccessful countersuit forced her to spend substantial sums defending herself and that she should therefore be reimbursed.
Justin Baldoni strongly opposes the request. In court filings submitted on July 13, 2026, their legal team described the amount as excessive, arguing that Lively’s lawyers billed more than 7,000 hours using 82 separate timekeepers while charging unreasonable hourly rates. They contend that the case was significantly overstaffed and have asked the court either to deny the application entirely or reduce it substantially, citing lower fee awards in comparable federal cases.
Outside the courtroom, the dispute has continued to attract public attention. Shortly before filing their opposition, Justin Baldoni and his wife Emily posted an emotional video on Instagram discussing the personal toll the legal battle had taken on their family. Without mentioning Lively by name, they described the experience as traumatic and said they were focusing on healing through faith, gratitude and family.
As of July 17, 2026, the central lawsuits between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have been resolved. Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit has been dismissed, while Lively’s lawsuit concluded through a confidential settlement rather than a courtroom verdict. No judge or jury has ruled on the truth of the allegations made by either party.
The remaining question now rests solely with Judge Lewis J. Liman, who must determine whether Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios should reimburse some or all of the legal expenses claimed by Lively. His decision will close the final chapter of a dispute that has become one of Hollywood’s most closely followed legal battles in recent years.
