Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s It Ends With Us legal battle isn’t completely over just yet.
On Monday, June 1, attorneys for both parties met in a New York City courtroom to discuss Lively’s desire to seek damages from the actor after their case was settled out of court. Neither Lively, 38, nor Baldoni, 42, were present for the hearing.
The Associated Press reported that U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman did not make an official ruling after the hour-long hearing.
Hours before the 2026 Met Gala on May 4, news broke that Lively and Baldoni had reached a settlement in their highly contentious It Ends With Us legal dispute.
“The end product — the movie It Ends With Us — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind,” attorneys for both parties said in a statement to Us Weekly at the time. “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Nicole Rivelli / Sony Pictures Releasing /Courtesy Everett Collection
The statement continued, “We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”
While Baldoni’s attorney later called the result “a win and total victory” for the Wayfarer parties, Lively’s legal team claimed she was “entitled” to receive damages because of the “harm” she suffered as a result of the case.
“This settlement is a resounding victory for Blake Lively,” Lively’s attorneys previously told Us. “By agreeing to this settlement, and waiving their right to appeal, Justin Baldoni and every individual defendant now face personal liability for abusing the legal system to silence and intimidate Ms. Lively. And by admitting that Ms. Lively’s concerns ‘deserved to be heard,’ the defendants have ended once and for all the fiction that Ms. Lively ‘fabricated’ claims of sexual harassment and retaliation.”
Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman told Entertainment Tonight that he was surprised by Lively’s latest legal move after the parties announced their settlement. He ultimately said her request for damages “seems like more nonsense.”
“I think it’s impossible for Ms. Lively to take responsibility for any part of her actions,” he claimed. “If one can’t see themselves, one can’t honestly, realistically, look at their part in things, it makes for a troubled existence.”
After the settlement was reached, a report surfaced claiming Lively and Baldoni spent $60 million on the legal battle.
In response to the estimated number, Lively’s lawyer Sigrid McCawley told Entertainment Tonight, “Well, certainly any battle like this is expensive. And that’s why laws like the law that’s been passed in California that she’s proceeding under are so important.”
“Most people can’t afford to undertake this kind of significant battle,” she added. “She knows that that’s a privilege. She knows that most people are not in a position to do that.”
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