Entertainment

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle Hollywood feud ahead of trial

Blake Lively Justin Baldoni
TIMOTHY A.CLARY / AFP via Getty Images; John Nacion/Getty Images
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It ended — two weeks before trial.

The blockbuster dispute between "It Ends With Us" stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively over behind-the-scenes drama won't go to trial later this month. Lively and Baldoni's production company, Wayfarer Studios, announced Monday that they had reached a settlement.

"Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind," the statement said. "We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard."

"We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments," it continued. "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."

The terms of the settlement weren't publicly disclosed.

Lively's lawsuit alleged that Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of the movie and that his production company, Wayfarer Studios, orchestrated a digital smear campaign to ruin her reputation. Baldoni directed and co-starred in the movie.

The case was set to go to trial on May 18 in Manhattan.

US District Judge Lewis Liman had already tossed almost all of the claims in Lively's lawsuit, leaving only three counts that would go to trial. He also threw out lawsuits Baldoni filed against Lively and against The New York Times, which first reported on Lively's claims.

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Jacob Shamsian
Jacob Shamsian is a correspondent on Business Insider's Enterprise news desk. He is also a Global Reporter for Axel Springer.He was previously on BI's Legal Affairs desk, covering major litigation, courtroom trials, and the legal industry.Jacob has reported on the criminal trials of Donald TrumpGhislaine Maxwell, Sam Bankman-Fried, Sean "Diddy" CombsR. Kelly, and Anna Sorokin (AKA Anna Delvey), He's also covered blockbuster civil trials, including both E. Jean Carroll v. Trump trials, the New York Attorney General's fraud trial against TrumpSarah Palin v. The New York Times, and Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard.His stories have been cited in judicial rulings, lawsuits, letters from congressional committees, and in numerous media publications. He was a pool reporter in Donald Trump's Manhattan criminal trial.Jacob has been interviewed on CNN, the docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly," ABC's "Good Morning America," and BBC News, among other programs. His work has been cited by media outlets, including The New York Times, Bloomberg News, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, and New York magazine. He's also written for GQ, The Awl, The New Republic, Entertainment Weekly, Time, and Modern Farmer.You can reach Jacob on Signal at JacobShamsian.07.
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