What Is the Blake Lively Lawsuit?
The Blake Lively lawsuit is a federal civil case in which the actress accused her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni, his production company, and several associates of sexual harassment and a coordinated campaign to retaliate against her, not a class action or multidistrict litigation. There is one plaintiff, Lively, and eight named defendants.
Lively filed the case, formally styled Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on December 31, 2024, under case number 24-cv-10049, assigned to Judge Lewis J. Liman. Her operative Second Amended Complaint pled thirteen separate causes of action, from Title VII and California FEHA sexual harassment and retaliation claims to breach of contract, false light, defamation, and civil conspiracy.
A summary judgment ruling in April 2026 dismissed most of Lively's claims, and the parties settled the three that survived in May 2026, weeks before a federal trial was scheduled to begin. Baldoni denied every allegation throughout the case.
“This lawsuit grows out of events occurring during the production and promotion of the Hollywood film It Ends With Us (the "Film"), and the very public fallout between its two co-stars, Blake Lively ("Lively") and Justin Baldoni ("Baldoni").”
Source: Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC, No. 24-cv-10049, Opinion and Order at 1 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 2, 2026)
Why Was the Blake Lively Lawsuit Filed?
The Blake Lively lawsuit was filed because Lively alleged that Baldoni and his production team subjected her to sexual harassment during the first phase of filming in 2023, then retaliated against her and worked with public-relations consultants to damage her reputation after she raised those concerns.
According to the court's own summary of undisputed facts, Lively's attorney sent Wayfarer and It Ends With Us Movie LLC a list of seventeen items in November 2023, titled "Protections for Return to Production," that the production would need to address, including provisions for an intimacy coordinator, before she would agree to resume filming after a production pause tied to the 2023 industry strikes. Those protections were later incorporated into a signed Contract Rider Agreement in January 2024, and filming resumed and concluded in February 2024.
Lively claims that after the film's August 2024 release, Wayfarer and Baldoni worked with publicists, including The Agency Group PR and consultant Melissa Nathan, on what she called a retaliatory "crisis communications" campaign to turn public opinion against her once she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, stopped publicly supporting Baldoni. Baldoni has denied orchestrating any smear campaign and, through his attorneys, said Lively's own conduct and public statements caused the reputational fallout.
What Harms Does the Blake Lively Lawsuit Allege?
The Blake Lively lawsuit's Second Amended Complaint pled thirteen causes of action, grouped below into three categories of alleged harm. A federal judge dismissed most of these claims on summary judgment in April 2026, and the case settled before any of the surviving claims went to trial, so no court ever ruled on their underlying merits. Baldoni and the other defendants denied every allegation throughout the litigation.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment, under both Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act and California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, is a legal claim for unwelcome sexual conduct or comments in a workplace that a reasonable person would find hostile or abusive.
Lively pled sexual harassment claims against Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, and It Ends With Us Movie LLC, alleging unwelcome sexual comments and unchoreographed intimate conduct during the first phase of filming in 2023. The court granted the defendants summary judgment on these claims in April 2026, finding Lively had not raised a triable issue of fact under the applicable legal standard.
Retaliation
Retaliation is a legal claim for punishing someone, such as by damaging their reputation or career, because they raised a good-faith complaint about workplace harassment or discrimination.
This is the claim that survived summary judgment. Lively alleged that Wayfarer, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, and their publicists retaliated against her after she raised harassment concerns, by orchestrating a public campaign to discredit her. The court let a Title VII retaliation claim against IEWUM and Wayfarer, and an aiding-and-abetting-retaliation claim against The Agency Group PR, proceed past summary judgment, and the parties reached a settlement on these claims before trial.
Breach of Contract
Breach of contract is a legal claim that one party failed to perform an obligation it agreed to in a signed, enforceable agreement.
Lively separately alleged breach of the January 2024 Contract Rider Agreement, the document that incorporated the on-set protections her attorney had requested before she agreed to resume filming, and breach of her own Actor's Loanout Agreement. The Contract Rider Agreement claim against It Ends With Us Movie LLC also survived summary judgment and settled along with the retaliation claims; the Loanout Agreement claim was dismissed.
False Light and Defamation
False light and defamation are legal claims for publicly portraying someone in a damaging way that is false, distinguished mainly by whether the claim rests on a false impression (false light) or a false factual statement (defamation).
Lively alleged the defendants' public statements and coordinated media strategy defamed her and portrayed her in a false light. The court granted the defendants summary judgment on both claims in April 2026, finding statements made by Baldoni's attorney about the litigation were protected commentary on a judicial proceeding rather than actionable defamation.
What Is the Current Status of the Blake Lively Lawsuit?
The current status of the Blake Lively lawsuit is settled and closed. Judge Lewis J. Liman narrowed the case on summary judgment in April 2026, and the parties reached a settlement on the remaining claims in May 2026, avoiding a federal trial that had been scheduled for later that month.
Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC
Blake Lively filed her original complaint in the Southern District of New York on December 31, 2024, later amended twice, with the operative Second Amended Complaint filed July 30, 2025. The Wayfarer Parties moved for judgment on the pleadings and, separately, for summary judgment on every claim, and the court held oral argument on January 22, 2026.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York |
| Case Number | 24-cv-10049 |
| Judge | Lewis J. Liman |
| Filed | December 31, 2024 |
| Defendants | Wayfarer Studios LLC, Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Melissa Nathan, The Agency Group PR LLC, Jennifer Abel |
| Outcome | Summary judgment granted in part (Apr. 2, 2026); remaining claims settled (May 2026) |
The April 2, 2026 opinion granted the defendants judgment on ten of Lively's thirteen claims, including the sexual harassment, false light, defamation, and civil conspiracy counts, while letting her FEHA retaliation claim against IEWUM and Wayfarer, her aiding-and-abetting-retaliation claim against The Agency Group PR, and her Contract Rider Agreement breach-of-contract claim against IEWUM proceed. The parties settled those three remaining claims roughly a month later, before the case reached trial.
Did Blake Lively Settle the Lawsuit?
Yes. Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settled the remaining claims in the lawsuit in May 2026, ahead of a federal trial that had been scheduled for later that month, but neither side has publicly disclosed the settlement's financial terms.
Separately, in September 2026, Judge Liman ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to pay Lively $407,451 in attorneys' fees and costs tied to defending against Baldoni's own, distinct $400 million defamation lawsuit, far less than the roughly $8 million she had requested; that fee award is not a settlement figure for the underlying harassment and retaliation case, which remains confidential.
In a joint statement announcing the settlement, both sides said that "raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors" was a shared goal, and that they hoped the resolution would "bring closure" and allow everyone involved to move forward. Neither statement mentioned a dollar figure, and confidential settlement terms are standard in employment litigation of this kind.
Blake Lively Lawsuit Updates and Case Status
Here is the current status of the Blake Lively lawsuit, updated with new filings, rulings, and case-count reports as they're confirmed. The Blake Lively MDL settled as of September 2026; the terms and timing are covered in the entries below. The timeline below tracks every confirmed development from the first filing forward.
Blake Lively Lawsuit Timeline
Judge Orders Baldoni to Pay Lively $407,451 in Fees From the Dismissed Defamation Suit
Judge Lewis Liman ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to pay Lively $363,000 in attorneys' fees and $44,000 in costs tied to her defense of Baldoni's separate defamation lawsuit, about 5% of the roughly $8 million she had sought, finding her fee request unreasonable in scope even though counsel's hourly rates were not.
Lively and Baldoni Settle the Remaining Claims Ahead of Trial
The two sides settled Lively's surviving retaliation and breach-of-contract claims on a Monday in early May 2026, days before a scheduled federal trial, issuing a joint statement about supporting domestic violence survivors without disclosing settlement terms.
Judge Narrows the Case to Three Surviving Claims
Judge Liman granted the Wayfarer Parties summary judgment on ten of Lively's thirteen causes of action, including sexual harassment, false light, and defamation, while letting her FEHA retaliation, aiding-and-abetting-retaliation, and Contract Rider Agreement breach claims proceed toward trial.
Court Hears Oral Argument on the Dismissal and Summary Judgment Motions
Judge Liman heard argument on the Wayfarer Parties' motion for judgment on the pleadings and their separate motion for summary judgment, after both sides had fully briefed the motions through December 2025.
Lively Files Her Operative Second Amended Complaint
Lively filed the Second Amended Complaint that remained the operative pleading through summary judgment, following an earlier First Amended Complaint filed in February 2025.
Judge Dismisses Baldoni's Separate $400 Million Defamation Suit
In a legally distinct case, Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties' $400 million defamation and civil-extortion lawsuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times, a ruling described in more detail below.
Baldoni and Wayfarer Sue The New York Times for Libel
Hours after Lively's own lawsuit became public, Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties filed a separate libel suit against The New York Times over its reporting on Lively's allegations, later expanded into the $400 million suit against Lively and Reynolds as well.
Blake Lively Files Her Lawsuit Against Wayfarer Studios and Justin Baldoni
Lively filed her original federal complaint in the Southern District of New York, alleging sexual harassment and a coordinated retaliatory campaign tied to the production of It Ends With Us.
How Did Justin Baldoni Respond to the Lawsuit's Allegations?
Justin Baldoni denied every allegation in Lively's lawsuit and, through his production company and attorneys, argued her claims were a fabricated effort to seize creative control of It Ends With Us and damage his reputation. He was never criminally charged, and the case was resolved by settlement rather than a full trial.
In court filings, Baldoni's side described the on-set conduct Lively complained about as "no more than miscommunications and awkward comments" relevant to a film centered on intimate adult themes, and said the production team implemented every change Lively requested at the time. The Wayfarer Parties separately alleged, in their own now-dismissed lawsuit, that Lively "orchestrated a malicious attack" on their reputations and used false harassment claims to gain control over the film.
Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, publicly disputed Lively's account throughout the litigation, and Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties pursued their own $400 million defamation and civil-extortion suit against Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times before that suit was dismissed in June 2025.
Is the Blake Lively Lawsuit the Same as Baldoni's $400 Million Suit?
No. "Blake Lively lawsuit" can refer to two legally separate federal cases before the same judge, and conflating them misattributes facts from one case to the other. Only Lively's own suit against Wayfarer Studios and Baldoni, described on this page, is the case that settled in May 2026.
Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties filed a separate $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times, alleging civil extortion, defamation, and breach of contract over the Times' reporting on Lively's harassment allegations and over Lively and Reynolds' own public statements. Judge Liman dismissed that suit on June 9, 2025, finding it failed to state a viable legal claim. Lively later sought $8 million in attorneys' fees for defending against it under a California law that protects sexual harassment claimants from retaliatory litigation; in September 2026, the court awarded her $407,451, about 5% of that request.
| Case | Plaintiff | Subject | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lively v. Wayfarer Studios (this page) | Blake Lively | Sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract | Narrowed on summary judgment, then settled, May 2026 |
| Wayfarer Parties v. NYT, Lively & Reynolds (distinct case) | Justin Baldoni / Wayfarer Studios | $400 million defamation, civil extortion | Dismissed June 9, 2025; $407,451 fee award to Lively, Sept. 2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Blake Lively lawsuit about?
The Blake Lively lawsuit is a federal civil case Lively filed against It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, and several associates, alleging sexual harassment during filming and a retaliatory campaign to damage her reputation after she raised those concerns.
Is the Blake Lively lawsuit a class action?
No. The Blake Lively lawsuit is a single-plaintiff federal civil case, not a class action or multidistrict litigation. There is exactly one plaintiff, Blake Lively, and eight named defendants, with no other claimants ever joined to the case.
Did Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle the lawsuit?
Yes. Lively and Baldoni settled the claims that survived summary judgment in May 2026, days before a federal trial was scheduled to begin, and neither side has publicly disclosed the settlement's financial terms.
How much did Justin Baldoni pay Blake Lively?
The settlement amount from the underlying harassment and retaliation case has not been made public. Separately, in September 2026, a judge ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to pay Lively $407,451 in attorneys' fees and costs tied to a different, dismissed defamation lawsuit Baldoni had filed against her, about 5% of the roughly $8 million she requested.
Was Justin Baldoni criminally charged?
No. No criminal charges were ever filed against Justin Baldoni in connection with Lively's lawsuit. The case was a civil suit only, resolved through summary judgment rulings and a private settlement rather than a criminal proceeding.
Is the Blake Lively lawsuit the same as the Justin Baldoni $400 million lawsuit?
No. Blake Lively's own lawsuit against Wayfarer Studios and Baldoni is a legally distinct case from Baldoni's separate $400 million defamation and civil-extortion suit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times, which a judge dismissed in June 2025. Sharing the same parties and judge is not evidence the two cases are the same lawsuit.