actor Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battle over It End’s With Us is far from over, with Blake’s legal team now claiming damages and legal fees on Justin’s behalf over their defamation countersuit, which has since been dismissed.
Blake Lively seeks damages from Justin Baldoni
According to Radar, parties involved with Blake and Wayfarer Studios have settled nearly all claims in their explosive It Ends With Us legal dispute. However, the actress is still seeking punitive damages and attorney fees in the ongoing dispute, which she claims stems from a “retaliatory” lawsuit.
In newly filed court documents, Blake and the defendants, which include Wayfarer Studios, Justin Baldoni, Jamie Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel, and The Agency Group PR LLC, executed a settlement agreement aimed at ending most of the massive litigation.
The filing noted that the parties have “fully and finally resolved all claims” in the consolidated action except for one remaining issue, which is tied to California Civil Code Section 47.1.
The unresolved portion revolves around Blake’s request for attorneys’ fees, compensatory damages, treble damages and punitive damages, which his legal team describes as a retaliatory legal action filed against him after he allegedly raised harassment and retaliation concerns associated with the production of It End’s With Us.
The latest filing said California lawmakers introduced Section 47.1 to protect individuals who speak publicly about alleged sexual assault, harassment, discrimination or retaliation from retaliatory defamation lawsuits.
According to the documents, Blake is seeking not only attorneys’ fees and legal costs, but also compensatory damages that can be tripled with punitive damages under the law.
Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni move to deal
On Monday, it seemed like the legal dispute between It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has officially been resolved after both parties reached a settlement agreement.
The legal battle began in 2024 when Blake sued Justin, accusing him of harassment and a defamation campaign on the set of her hit movie. He denied it and countered.
On Monday, Blake and Justin settled their civil case and released a joint statement in which they discussed “moving forward.” “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors and all survivors is a goal we stand behind,” the two Hollywood stars said in a joint statement released through their lawyers.
“Our sincere hope is that this will bring closure and allow everyone involved to move forward constructively and peacefully, including in a respectful environment online,” the statement added.
The agreement came just two weeks before the hearing of the case began. AFP reported that the case was set to expose the ugly side of show business and potentially lead to more image-damaging revelations.
Additionally, a federal judge in Manhattan dismissed some of each actor’s claims. Last June, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismisses Justin Baldoni’s defamation and extortion suit. In April, he dismissed Blake’s sexual harassment claims. However, Blake’s claims about retaliation were set to go to trial, potentially resulting in damages for Justin Baldoni. Jury selection for the trial was scheduled to begin on May 18. The AP and AFP reported that terms of the agreement were not disclosed.