Attorney says unexpected mediation call led to settlement in Baldoni-Lively lawsuit

Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, told Fox News Digital that an unexpected Friday-night call from Blake Lively’s lawyer initiated mediation, which ultimately resulted in a settlement ending the two-year legal dispute. The agreement allowed both parties to publicly discuss the court’s summary-judgment dismissals of most claims, including sexual-harassment and defamation allegations, and confirmed that no money changed hands for the remaining claims.

The lawsuit originated after Lively, who starred in the film “It Ends With Us,” filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, emotional-distress and negligence against Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath. Baldoni denied the accusations, describing them as false. A judge later dismissed the majority of the claims, and a subsequent ruling permitted Lively to recover attorney fees but rejected additional financial awards.

Freedman said the case attracted extensive public attention and that releasing the full docket of documents was an unusual strategy intended to let the public assess the evidence. He noted that the settlement was accompanied by a joint statement expressing pride in the film and a commitment to safe workplaces.

"I think when you settle a case and your client was sued for 15 claims, of which two are dismissed by the other side voluntarily, 10 of the remaining 13 are dismissed by the court — and those involve sexual harassment and defamation — I think it's really important that the clients be able to speak about that," Freedman said.

The parties agreed to drop all remaining claims and forego future appeals, bringing the litigation to a close.