Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Settle Legal Battle Over 'It Ends With Us' Dispute

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni reached a settlement deal in their legal battle over allegations tied to the film 'It Ends With Us,' with the agreement announced on May 5, 2026. Documents in the case were unsealed and entered into the public record shortly after, including transcripts of depositions taken in the lead-up to a potential trial.

NBC News reported that the packets of PDFs were unsealed on Monday, which corresponds to May 4, 2026.

The settlement followed Lively's allegation that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios orchestrated a retaliatory smear campaign after she spoke out about sexual harassment on the set of 'It Ends With Us,' claiming it harmed her career prospects. Baldoni denied Lively’s allegations.

The legal battle involved the co-stars, with Lively playing Lily Bloom and Baldoni portraying Ryle Kincaid while also directing the film.

It acknowledged: 'the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. The joint statement added: 'We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. Baldoni’s representatives said on May 5, 2026, they had no additional comment on the unsealed files.

Lively’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on May 5, 2026, and Hoover’s representatives also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that date. The unsealed documents include a 19-page transcript of a deposition from Colleen Hoover, the author of 'It Ends With Us,' who was credited as an executive producer on the film.

Hoover stated in her deposition that she did not believe she had significant creative input during the production of the movie.

The story of 'It Ends With Us' follows flower shop owner Lily Bloom and her relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. Potential expert witnesses included USC marketing professor Dina Mayzlin and Hollywood lawyer Richard Marks. 5 million for appearances in advertisements for L’Oreal.

Lively was contractually set to receive roughly $360,000 for wearing Charlotte Tilbury makeup at the 2022 Met Gala. She was set to receive around $200,000 from Tiffany and some $250,000 for her participation in a 2024 event backed by Meta’s Facebook. Target expected Blake Brown sales to hit around $821,000 a week in 2024, but Blake Brown skin care products underperformed projections in 2024.

The beauty brand Blake Brown went dark on social media between August 14 and September 9, 2024, which occurred 10 days after the launch of Blake Brown. Negative comments about Lively more than doubled around August 14 to September 9, 2024, according to a social media sentiment tracker.