Blake Lively calls settlement with Justin Baldoni's Wayfarer a ‘victory'

Blake Lively hailed her legal settlement with Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios as a “resounding victory,” even as Baldoni’s team insists the outcome represents “total victory” for them.

Attorneys for both sides filed a Notice of Settlement and Stipulation in federal court, ending the high profile It Ends With Us dispute just weeks before trial, as per People.

The agreement dismisses Wayfarer’s $400 million countersuit against Lively and bars Baldoni’s team from appealing.

Lively’s lawyers emphasized that she can still pursue damages and legal fees under California Civil Code Section 47.1, which protects those who report harassment or discrimination from retaliatory defamation suits.

“This settlement is a resounding victory for Blake Lively,” her team said, noting that defendants had admitted her concerns “deserved to be heard.”

Wayfarer’s counsel Bryan Freedman emphasized that the court had already dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims including all sexual harassment and defamation allegations, and argued she settled because “they knew they were going to lose in court.”

The battle began in December 2024 when Lively accused Baldoni, her It Ends With Us director and co star, of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her.

Baldoni denied the claims and filed a countersuit that was later dismissed.

Lively alleged reputational damage worth hundreds of millions, saying she was smeared online as a “bully” and “mean girl.”

Judge Lewis Liman had previously narrowed the case, dismissing harassment and defamation claims but allowing retaliation allegations to proceed.

The settlement now closes one of Hollywood’s most closely watched legal dramas, though Lively may still press for fees and damages.

A source close to the actress stressed the case was “never about money” but about exposing “bad actors who are also harming others.”

Attorneys for both sides said they hoped the resolution would allow everyone “to move forward constructively and in peace.”