Black Lively and Justin Baldoni settle legal dispute after court dismisses major lawsuit

In a major development, a judge has dismissed a $400 million lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni against Black Lively. The case was thrown out by Judge Lewis J Liman, bringing a significant shift in a long running legal battle. After both sides confirmed that their dispute related to the film ‘It Ends With Us’ has been settled out of court. The settlement was reached on May 4, 2026, just two weeks before the trail was scheduled to begin on May 18. 

In April 2026, the court had already dismissed most of Lively’s claims, including the sexual harassment allegations. However, some issues like retaliation and breach of contract were still active.

Lively had shared her response on Instagram Stories after the case dismissal. She showed support for women’s rights and organisations that help survivors speak up. She had said that she understands the emotional pain of facing a retaliatory lawsuit. She added that many people do not have the resources to fight such legal battles. She also expressed her commitment to continue supporting women’s safety, dignity, and right to share their stories. She also thanked supporters who stood by her during the legal fight.

Reportedly, with the settlement now complete, the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has officially ended. While the details remain confidential, both sides have agreed to move forward peacefully.

What was the case?

In December 2024, Blake Lively had filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him and others of sexual harassment and of launching a retaliatory smear campaign  allegations which Baldoni had denied.

In response, Baldoni countersued Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist in January 2025, alleging defamation and extortion.

Baldoni also accused Reynolds of mocking and bullying him by creating the character ‘Nicepool’ in Deadpool & Wolverine, which he claimed was a satire of his ‘woke feminist’ public image.