Justin Baldoni, his wife break silence on ‘trauma’ after Blake Lively legal fight: ‘Facts spoke for themselves’
Justin Baldoni and his wife took to Instagram to address the legal feud
For nearly two years, Justin Baldoni stayed out of the public conversation surrounding his legal battle with Blake Lively. Now, the actor-director has broken his silence, saying he and his family waited until they felt they were ready to share their side of the story.
In a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday, Baldoni appeared with his wife, Emily Baldoni, and spoke about the emotional impact of the controversy that erupted after the release of It Ends with Us (2024), the film he directed and starred in alongside Lively.
"We have not spoken publicly for the better part of the last two years, and it’s not because we haven’t had anything to say. Because lord knows we have, but it just felt like every time we went to make a video like this, we wanted to speak, something was telling us not to. It just didn’t feel like the right time, and we were talking about it and feeling into it and praying about it.” “This feels like the moment. There’s so much to say,” Emily added.
She also added, "Doesn’t negate the injustice and the pain that we have also felt in the last few years. We’ve had to wrestle with so many things and try to understand how something like this could even happen, let alone be disguised as a fight for women. There’s been a lot of trauma for us to move through as a family, which also makes it hard to speak.”
Emily said the couple struggled with deciding what they should share given the circumstances. While admitting there was "so much to say" about the dispute, she said they wanted to focus instead on thanking those who supported them during the difficult period. Justin echoed that feeling, saying, "Gratitude has saved us."
The couple said they chose to allow the legal proceedings to unfold rather than contribute to the public debate surrounding the case. Baldoni said "there have been so many painful things spoken into existence", while Emily said she believed the facts had ultimately "spoken for themselves".
Baldoni also expressed appreciation for those who continued to stand by him and his family throughout the legal battle, saying their support and faith helped them through one of the hardest chapters of their lives.
The dispute began in December 2024, when Lively accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her during the production of It Ends with Us and alleged that he had led a campaign to harm her reputation. Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, denied the allegations and filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, claiming the accusations were an attempt to gain control over the film.
The lawsuit was later dismissed after a court ruled that Lively’s claims were protected under litigation privilege. Before the case could go to trial, Lively withdrew her lawsuit and reached a settlement with Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. The settlement did not include financial compensation, though Lively has since sought $7.5 million in legal fees from Baldoni and the studio.
