After two years of relentless headlines and courtroom showdowns, Justin Baldoni and his wife Emily decided to address the ‘injustice’ and ‘pain’ they faced throughout their bitter legal battle with Blake Lively, in an emotional Instagram video shared last week.
Now, a source close to the couple has revealed that the video statement was a spur-of-the-moment decision, brought by Baldoni’s desire ‘to get things off his chest so he can go back to posting, just being normal in some shape or form.’
The actor decided to break his silence on the two-year feud with his It Ends With Us co-star in a bid to put the saga behind him once and for all, as he rebuilds his life away from Hollywood, the insider told the Daily Mail.
Of Emily, the insider added: ‘They’re a strong unit and they’ve navigated it together, so it makes sense for them to speak out together.
‘She’s been impacted too and they’ve gone through the wringer together. Seeing her husband falsely accused and then seeing this woman have her case dismissed and then she’s still going out and saying she’s advocating for victims – it’s been tough to watch.’
Baldoni, 42, and his family have since relocated hundreds of miles away from Hollywood, swapping their Ojai, California, home for Nashville, Tennessee.
Justin Baldoni and his wife Emily finally spoke out about their long legal battle with Blake Lively in an Instagram video last week
Lively, 38, agreed to settle her case against Baldoni, 42, in May after a judge in New York dismissed most of her claims
The move was largely done with the pair’s two children in mind after their home address was ‘doxxed twice’ allegedly by Lively’s legal team, according to the source.
‘It was just [that] they have kids and wanted to make sure they had some privacy and that they got away from the noise,’ the insider explained.
‘I don’t think anyone wanted to live through what everyone has had to live through of this public spectacle. It did not need to become this at all.’
The decision to speak out marked a significant moment for Baldoni, who had remained largely silent as the highly publicized and messy legal feud played out in public following the release of 2024 domestic violence movie It Ends With Us.
‘There is so much to say, and it makes it hard to speak,’ Emily said. ‘It makes it hard to figure out what is right for us, for this specific moment.’
‘And we’re not gonna say it all,’ Baldoni added.
The actor and director’s life has been upended by the case, which started with a falling out on the set of the blockbuster domestic violence movie, It Ends With Us. Above, Baldoni and Emily leaving court after a ‘settlement conference’ in February
Baldoni and Emily – who have two children – have now traded their Ojai, California, home for one in Nashville, Tennessee, in a bid to return to normal life
‘But what does feel important is that we can genuinely say that we are sitting here today feeling immense gratitude for so many things and so many people and so many things that have happened to us,’ his wife said.
In sharper comments that appeared to refer to Lively, Emily added: ‘I also feel that it’s important as we say that, in that gratitude, it doesn’t negate the injustice and the pain that we have also felt in the last few years.
‘And we’ve had to wrestle with so many things and try to understand things like how could something like this even happen.
‘Let alone disguise as a fight for women [sic]. So much to unpack.’
But before he can fully start afresh in Nashville, Baldoni is still facing a showdown with former co-star Lively, 38, over what his legal team has described as an ‘exorbitant’ attempt to claim $8.3 million in legal fees.
‘It’s just incredible,’ a source close to the actor said. ‘She’s asking for $8 million on just one portion of the defamation claim. I think they’re asking for way too much.’
For now, Baldoni’s hopes of moving on with his life remain in limbo as the fight over legal fees continues to grind through court.
Although the case was settled in May after large portions of Lively’s $400 million case were thrown out by Judge Lewis Liman, the actress is continuing to push for a large payout to cover payments to lawyers.
In a filing lodged in court on Monday, Baldoni’s lawyer Ellyn Garofalo described Lively’s demands as ‘excessive’ and the case as ‘deeply flawed’.
She added: ‘The most cursory review of Lively’s submission shows multiple lawyers at the same hearings, numerous charges for lawyers conferencing, conferring, or strategizing with one another, and to put it mildly, extremely excessive research and online investigation.
‘The Court should deny or drastically reduce Lively’s fee request to eliminate costs attributable to the overstaffing of this employment matter’.
Judge Liman is expected to take several weeks before he issues a ruling on costs, with Baldoni and his wife left in limbo until a decision is made.
Now, Baldoni is fighting Lively’s attempt to recover $8.3 million in legal fees, a demand his legal team has branded ‘exorbitant’ and ‘deeply flawed’. Above, on the set of It Ends With Us in 2024
Lively, too, has lost out from the case and was a notable no-show at Taylor Swift’s $50million wedding to Travis Kelce on July 3 after the pair’s friendship spectacularly flamed out after the singer was dragged into the litigation.
‘Honestly, time will tell,’ the source said of whether Baldoni will ever speak out about the case again.
‘I think he’s just definitely ready to start moving on with his life. They themselves said that there’ll be time to say more eventually. But for now, they’re just enjoying living their lives.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Baldoni and Lively for comment. Lively’s representatives did not return requests for comment.
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