Justin Baldoni celebrates his settlement It ends with us legal dispute with Blake Lively, with his lawyer describing him as “ecstatic” about the outcome, although he stressed that Baldoni himself was already out of the case before a deal was reached.
Attorney Bryan Freedman said Extra TV in an interview released Wednesday that his client was “very pleased with where this ended,” and pointed out that Baldoni, 42, had been removed as a defendant after a judge dismissed ten of Lively’s thirteen claims last month, including her sexual harassment, defamation and conspiracy claims.
“This is not his settlement,” Freedman said, noting that it was Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios, not Baldoni personally, who was still involved when settlement talks resumed over the weekend.
“Justin and the other people felt quite comfortable [with] where they were at the time.”
Freedman described the settlement as a natural conclusion given how much the case had changed.
“The case was very different after several of Lively’s claims were thrown out,” he said, adding that Baldoni sees it “as a logical conclusion to a case he’s already out of.”
Looking ahead, Freedman said Baldoni intends to use his experience to help others in similar situations.
“Justin wants to help people who have had similar experiences when they felt like they were being accused of something they didn’t do. And to be a leader in helping other people in that way.”
Freedman also said Baldoni would continue to advocate for women’s rights and the domestic violence survivor community.
Pictures taken by Page six shortly after the interview, Baldoni, making his first public appearance since the settlement, stepped out in Nashville with his wife Emily, both in baseball caps and light-wash jeans, holding hands and smiling as they left a restaurant.
Lively, meanwhile, made her own first public appearance after the settlement at Monday’s Met Gala.
The three remaining claims, breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting retaliation, had been set for trial on May 18 before the settlement was reached.
Both sides released a joint statement confirming they are behind the film.
“The end product, the film It ends with us, is a source of pride for all of us who worked to bring it to life,” it read in part.
“Raising awareness and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors and all survivors is a goal we stand behind.”
