It Ends With Us stars reach legal settlement
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni decided to end their legal battle over the harsh production of their 2024 movie It ends with us.
The two sides settled their legal dispute Monday ahead of a scheduled hearing over Lively’s allegations that Baldoni previously conspired with publicists to destroy her reputation after she privately accused Baldoni of sexually assaulting her on the movie set.
In a joint statement, the parties said: “Raising awareness and making a meaningful impact on the lives of victims of domestic violence and all survivors is a goal we stand behind… It is our sincere hope that this will bring closure and allow all involved to move forward constructively and peacefully, including in a respectful environment online.”
Baldoni, who directed the film and starred in Lively, denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign. He claimed that complaints about his behavior were fabricated by Lively as part of an effort to gain creative control of the film.
The agreement would allow both sides to avoid a trial that could highlight Hollywood’s ugliest side and lead to further revelations that could damage its image.
Some of the legal claims of both players were rejected by the judge in recent months.
Lively’s sexual harassment allegations were dismissed by Judge Lewis J. Liman in early April; he also ruled that he could not pursue those claims under federal law because he was an independent contractor rather than an employee while working on the film.
The same judge had previously dismissed the lawsuit in which Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, accused Lively and her husband. Deadpool A lawsuit was filed against actor Ryan Reynolds on charges of defamation and extortion.
It ends with usAdapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 best-selling novel, the film was released in August 2024, exceeding box office expectations.
Lively said in her lawsuit that Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance during filming, violated physical boundaries while filming a love scene, and pressured Lively for nudity against her wishes in a scene in which her character gave birth.
Baldoni denied doing anything outside the normal creative process of filmmaking.
In his ruling dismissing the sexual harassment claims, the judge acknowledged the complexity of the issue, stating that creative artists “should have some leeway to experiment within the confines of an agreed-upon script without fear of being held liable for sexual harassment.”
The trial was to focus on Lively’s claim that Baldoni and the studio retaliated against her sexual harassment complaints by hiring publicists to turn the public against her. Her lawyers said the campaign involved hiring a “digital army” to post fake negative content about Lively on social media platforms and feeding “manufactured content to unwitting reporters.”
The lawsuit stated that the goal was “to retaliate against Ms. Lively by tarnishing her image, damaging her businesses, and causing serious emotional harm to her family.”
Baldoni’s lawyers claimed that it was Lively who strategically manipulated Baldoni’s public image, in part by enlisting the help of her famous friends.
He appeared vividly in the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and television series Gossip Girl Before acting in films from 2007 to 2012 Town And the shallows.
Baldoni starred in TV comedy virgin janeHe directed the 2019 movie Five Feet Apart and wrote Man EnoughA book that challenges traditional notions of masculinity.
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