The legal war between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni may have officially settled, but the courtroom fallout is still dragging on.
According to The New York Post, the federal judge overseeing the It Ends With Us dispute denied Lively’s request to submit additional filings tied to Baldoni’s previously dismissed $400 million countersuit. Lively is still attempting to recover attorneys’ fees and damages connected to that case, but according to reports from the hearing, the judge made it clear he does not want more paperwork on the issue.
The dispute centers on whether Lively can recover legal costs under a California law passed in 2023 that protects sexual-harassment accusers from retaliatory lawsuits. Baldoni’s countersuit against Lively and Ryan Reynolds was thrown out last year, but the court never formally decided whether that California statute applies to this case.
Baldoni’s team has consistently argued it does not. Their attorneys previously claimed the law shouldn’t govern the dispute because the alleged incidents tied to It Ends with Us took place primarily in New Jersey, where most of the movie was filmed. They also argued that applying the statute would interfere with Baldoni’s constitutional right to bring claims before the court.
The ruling lands just days after the two sides unexpectedly settled the core lawsuit before the scheduled May 18 trial date. That settlement ended an 18-month legal fight that spiraled from on-set allegations into one of Hollywood’s messiest public courtroom battles in recent memory.
Lively originally sued Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation during the production of It Ends with Us. Baldoni denied those claims and filed a $400 million countersuit, accusing Lively and Reynolds of defamation and other claims.
That countersuit was dismissed in June 2025, while several of Lively’s own claims were later narrowed by the court as well.
Even after the settlement, both camps quickly tried to frame the outcome as a win. Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, called it a “huge victory,” arguing Lively chose to settle rather than testify publicly. Lively’s legal team pushed back hard on that characterization, calling the resolution a “resounding victory” for the actress.
In a joint statement released after the settlement, both sides attempted to strike a more measured tone, saying the completed film “is a source of pride” and reaffirming their support for raising awareness around domestic violence and survivors’ issues.
