Blake Lively's legal team returned to a New York court on June 1, 2026, to demand legal fees and damages from co-star Justin Baldoni following an out-of-court settlement reached in May 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4].
Lively, 38, initially filed a complaint against Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of making inappropriate remarks about his sex life and attempting to add unapproved sex scenes to the film It Ends with Us [1, 2, 3, 4]. The movie, based on Colleen Hoover's novel, grossed over US$350 million worldwide at the box office in 2024 [1, 2, 3, 4].
Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for extortion and defamation. However, a judge dismissed those claims in 2025 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Lively's legal team says Baldoni's defamation suit was a retaliatory action prohibited under California law. Baldoni's lawyers reject that claim, and Wayfarer Studios stated, "Neither the studio, its executives, nor its PR team did anything to retaliate against Lively" [1].
Federal judge Lewis Liman dismissed some of Lively's claims but upheld her retaliation allegations [1, 2, 3, 4]. The exact terms of the May 2026 settlement have not been made public [1, 2, 3, 4].
Lively's attorneys' return to court this week signals further legal action to secure financial compensation from Baldoni after months of dispute.
Timeline
In December 2024, Blake Lively filed the initial complaint alleging inappropriate conduct by Baldoni [1, 2, 3, 4].
In 2025, the judge dismissed Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios’ countersuit claims against Lively and Ryan Reynolds [1, 2, 3, 4].
In May 2026, the two parties reached an out-of-court settlement [1, 2, 3, 4].
On June 1, 2026, Lively's legal team returned to court to demand legal fees and damages [1, 2, 3, 4].
