The long-running legal battle between It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has reached its end.
Court filings reviewed by People confirm that Baldoni’s $400 million defamation case against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, is now officially closed after the filmmaker missed a court deadline to continue the case.
Judge Lewis Liman, who dismissed the lawsuit in June, had ruled that Lively’s public statements about alleged sexual harassment were protected by law. He gave Baldoni until the end of October to file an amended complaint, but the director never responded.
On October 17, Judge Liman notified both sides that he planned to issue a final judgment. Lively’s team replied, requesting that the judgment be entered and that her petition for legal fees remain open, and the court granted both requests.
After the initial dismissal, Lively took to Instagram to reflect on the experience, saying she understood “the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit” and was “more determined than ever” to defend women’s rights to speak out about abuse.
Her attorneys hailed the court’s ruling as a “complete vindication,” calling the case a “sham” meant to silence her.
The conflict traces back to the making of It Ends With Us, the 2024 adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s hit novel. Lively portrayed Lily Bloom opposite Baldoni, who also directed and played her abusive partner, Ryle Kincaid. Lively’s own suit, filed in late 2024, accused Baldoni of harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign.