New York, New York – Both Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni claimed their surprise settlement was a “victory” for their respective sides after the co-stars‘ bitter legal battle came to an end this week.
Per People, lawyers representing Lively said Thursday the settlement marked a “resounding victory” for the 38-year-old, who initially sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation in December 2024.
But Bryan Freedman, who represented both Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios in the case, said it was a “total victory” for his clients.
“The court had already dismissed 10 of Ms. Lively’s 13 claims, including every sexual harassment claim, every defamation claim, and all claims against the individual defendants,” he said in a subsequent statement. “Ms. Lively voluntarily dismissed the rest.”
Billie Eilish goes red carpet official with Nat Wolff after swirling romance rumors
Freedman further argued that Lively’s team “knew they were going to lose in court” and thus opted to settle the case instead.
However, one key matter remains unresolved. According to the New York Times, Lively is seeking damages over Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit against her, which was dismissed last June.
The Gossip Girl star’s legal team argues that his lawsuit was a form of retaliation against her for raising the issue of his alleged sexual harassment on set.
Their motion relies on a 2023 California law that seeks to protect those accusers of sexual misconduct against retaliatory defamation lawsuits.
Though Baldoni’s lawyer brushed the disagreement off as a “pending request for fees based on a very narrow issue,” Lively’s side argued that their joint settlement statement supports their claim.
“By admitting that Ms. Lively’s concerns ‘deserved to be heard,’ the defendants have ended once and for all the fiction that Ms. Lively fabricated claims of sexual harassment and retaliation,” the A Simple Favor actor’s team said Thursday.
