Justin Baldoni is celebrating the settlement of his It Ends With Us legal dispute with Blake Lively, with his lawyer describing him as “ecstatic” at the outcome, though emphasising that Baldoni himself was already out of the case before a deal was struck.
Attorney Bryan Freedman told Extra TV in an interview released on Wednesday that his client was “very pleased at where this ended up,” pointing out that Baldoni, 42, had been removed as a defendant after a judge dismissed ten of Lively’s thirteen allegations last month, including her sexual harassment, defamation and conspiracy claims.
“This is not his settlement,” Freedman said, noting that it was Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios, not Baldoni personally, that was still involved when settlement talks resumed over the weekend.
“Justin and the other individuals felt pretty comfortable [with] where they were at the time.”
Freedman described the settlement as a natural conclusion given how much the case had changed.
“The case was very different after several of Lively’s allegations were tossed out,” he said, adding that Baldoni views it “as a logical ending to a case he’s already out of.”
Looking ahead, Freedman said Baldoni intends to use his experience to help others in similar situations.
“Justin wants to help people who have experienced similar experiences when they felt they were accused of something they did not do. And to be a leader in helping other people in that way.”
Freedman also said Baldoni would continue to advocate for women’s rights and the domestic violence survivor community.
Photos obtained by Page Six shortly after the interview showed Baldoni making his first public appearance since the settlement, stepping out in Nashville with his wife Emily, both in baseball caps and light-wash jeans, holding hands and smiling as they left a restaurant.
Lively, meanwhile, made her own first public appearance following the settlement’s conclusion at Monday’s Met Gala.
The three remaining claims, breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting in retaliation, had been set for trial on 18 May before the settlement was reached.
Both sides released a joint statement confirming they stand behind the film.
“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,” it read in part.
“Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors, and all survivors, is a goal that we stand behind.”
