Blake Lively's Legal Gamble Ends in Settlement With Baldoni
WHO:
ABC News - Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Bryan Freedman, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane
The Hollywood Reporter - Michael Gottlieb
WHAT:
ABC News - Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, stated that the settlement agreement was published "to allow people finality" and to help both parties move on with their lives.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lively's legal team estimated that the litigation cost her roughly $30 million to $60 million.
The Hollywood Reporter - U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that compensatory and punitive damages do not fall within the exception established by the California law in question.
ABC News - Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement that ends their litigation and bars future claims related to the dispute.
ABC News - The settlement includes a joint public statement and leaves Lively's request for attorneys' fees and damages for the court to decide.
The Hollywood Reporter - Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court ordered Baldoni to pay Lively's legal fees but rejected her bid for damages.
WHERE:
ABC News - The legal battle involved the California Civil Rights Department and took place in New York.
WHEN:
ABC News - Lively filed a complaint in December 2024.
ABC News - Baldoni filed a lawsuit against the New York Times on December 31, 2024.
ABC News - The suits were consolidated in January 2025.
ABC News - A federal judge in New York gutted much of Lively's case in April of the current year.
ABC News - A joint statement was issued in May after reaching a settlement.
WHY:
ABC News - Lively accused Baldoni and his production company of sexual harassment and attempting to undermine her reputation.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lively's legal team aimed to utilize a California law to shield sexual harassment victims from retaliatory defamation claims.
HOW:
ABC News - Freedman expressed that if Lively believed her case was strong, she should have opted for a trial instead of settling without a monetary payout.
ABC News - Baldoni's lawyer released the full settlement agreement to provide clarity and allow both parties to move on.
The Hollywood Reporter - The dispute involved a novel application of a California law in federal court, which the judge ruled did not allow for compensatory and punitive damages.
(UPDATED June 16, 2026 10:35 UTC)
A settlement agreement has been published to provide finality for both parties involved, according to Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman. Meanwhile, Lively's legal team has estimated that her litigation costs ranged between $30 million and $60 million, and U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that compensatory and punitive damages do not fall under the exception set by the relevant California law. Freedman also noted that if Lively believed her case was strong, she should have chosen to go to trial rather than settle without any monetary payout.
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(UPDATED June 16, 2026 08:54 UTC)
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached a settlement that concludes their litigation and prevents any future claims related to the dispute, with a joint public statement included in the agreement. Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Leslie Sloane was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman, who ordered Baldoni to cover Lively's legal fees but rejected her request for damages. The legal battle, which involved accusations of sexual harassment and attempts to undermine Lively's reputation, took place in New York and was influenced by a California law aimed at protecting sexual harassment victims from retaliatory defamation claims.