Justin Baldoni scored a “huge victory” by settling his legal warwith Blake Lively, according to his lawyer, Bryan Freedman.
“It was an incredible opportunity, and I don’t think you pass up an incredible opportunity,” Freedman said on “TMZ Live” Tuesday, one day after Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni was settled.
The “It Ends With Us” co-stars’ trial was scheduled to start May 18 before the settlement was reached.
Freedman argued that Baldoni, 42, “didn’t settle the case technically,” since he already “won” last month when Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against the director, including sexual harassment, defamation and conspiracy.
The lawyer added that Baldoni was able to “breathe again” following the judge’s major ruling.
“To be accused of sexual harassment on such a public level is devastating. It’s devastating for your family, it’s devastating for yourself individually,” Freedman stated.
“What he went through… I get emotional speaking about it because he’s such a great human and stands for everything that’s good about women and supporting women,” Freedman added.
When asked if he thinks Baldoni or Lively, 38, will “recover” faster from the legal battle, Freedman noted that there’s “an emotional, psychological and physiological recovery” involved in the situation for both stars.
“If you’re talking career-wise, who gets the first role, I don’t know the answer to that,” he concluded.
Page Six has reached out to Lively’s rep for comment.
Lively sued Baldoni back in December 2024 and accused him of sexually harassing her on the set of their movie.
In her lawsuit, the “Gossip Girl” actress alleged she lost around $161 million in earnings and damages after an alleged smear campaign was brought against her.
Baldoni denied Lively’s claims and, the next month, filed a $400 million countersuit against the actress, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, alleging defamation, extortion and more.
However, Baldoni’s suit was dismissed in June 2025.
Judge Liman later decided that of Lively’s claims against Baldoni, only three could proceed: breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting in retaliation.
But on Monday, Baldoni and Lively’s teams confirmed the lawsuit was officially settled.
“The end product — the movie ‘It Ends With Us’ — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life,” both sides said in a joint statement to Page Six. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind.”
Sources told Page Six that both Lively and Baldoni’s legal teams made $60 million combined to sue and countersue one another.
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