- Justin Baldoni and family are recovering emotionally from a legal dispute with Blake Lively
- Baldoni and his wife Emily stayed silent publicly to allow the justice system to proceed
- Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation, which he denies
Actor-director Justin Baldoni has spoken publicly for the first time in nearly two years about his legal battle with Blake Lively, saying that he and his family are still recovering from the emotional impact of the ongoing dispute.
What's Happening
In a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday, Baldoni appeared alongside his wife, Emily Baldoni, where the couple reflected on the challenges they have faced since the controversy surrounding It Ends With Us began.
Explaining why they had stayed away from public statements for so long, Justin said, "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."
He continued, "Every time we wanted to speak, it just didn't feel like the right time. We wanted to let the justice system run its course."
Emily said the past two years had been emotionally difficult for their family as they tried to make sense of everything that had unfolded.
"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," she said.
Justin also addressed the couple's decision not to respond publicly to the allegations made against him.
"There have been so many painful things spoken into existence over the last couple of years. It created so much noise, and we didn't want to add to it," he said.
The actor credited his family, faith and supporters for helping them navigate the difficult period.
"We are healing. And if you've ever been through something traumatic, you know healing isn't linear. We've had to rethink what really matters. It's our children, our family, our friends, our community and our faith," Justin said.
Thanking those who supported him, he added, "When we didn't have a voice, so many of you became our voice. Thank you doesn't feel like enough."
Emily suggested that the couple plans to speak more about the controversy at a later stage.
"There's so much more to say. That time will come. But for now, we're focused on healing, spending time with our children and enjoying life," she said.
The Legal Dispute
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have been embroiled in a legal battle linked to the production of It Ends With Us, the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel.
Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation, allegations that he has denied.
In a recent development, a federal judge dismissed 10 of Lively's 13 claims against Baldoni, including allegations of sexual harassment, defamation and conspiracy. The court held that several claims could not move forward because Lively worked as an independent contractor, meaning certain protections under California employment law did not apply to the New Jersey-based production.
Separately, last month, a federal judge dismissed Baldoni's countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. The court also ruled that Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, are liable for Lively's legal fees related to the dismissed claims, with the amount sought exceeding $8 million.
Court filings state that Baldoni's legal team has until July 13 to either accept the fee request or formally challenge it. Neither Baldoni nor Wayfarer Studios has publicly commented on the latest filing.
