After a year and a half of back and forth both in front of and behind the cameras, the viral It Ends With Us saga has finally come to a sudden end.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have made the decision to settle the lawsuit waged by the former, lobbying claims of sexual harassment against her co-star and director, who in turn alleged defamation.
© Getty ImagesThe case was set to go to federal trial in just two weeks. Just last month, a judge dismissed 10 of the 13 claims that Blake filed against Justin although allowed the other three (breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting to retaliation) to proceed to trial, with Justin denying them all.
Now, the parties have instead decided to settle the lawsuit rather than go to trial. While the terms of the settlement have not been revealed, they released a joint statement on the matter.
"The end product – the movie 'It Ends With Us' – is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life," it began. "Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors – and all survivors – is a goal that we stand behind."
"We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard. We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments."
The statement concludes with: "It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online."
© Getty ImagesAfter the judge previously dismissed many of Blake's claims, Justin's legal team, led by Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, welcomed the decision in a statement to the Daily Mail.
"We're very pleased the Court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants," they stated, referring to Justin and others named in the suit. "These were very serious allegations, and we are grateful to the Court for its careful review of the facts, law and extensive evidence."
© Getty ImagesBlake, for her part, took to social media with a statement that read: "I'm grateful for the Court's ruling which allows the heart of my case to be presented to jury next month, and for the ability to tell my story in full at trial, for my own sake, but also for those who don't have the same opportunity to… many of whom I have known and loved deeply in my life, and the countless I'll never known."
While she dubbed the lawsuit the "last thing I wanted in my life," she affirmed that it was due to the alleged "pervasive RETALIATION I faced, and continue to, for privately and professionally asking for a safe working environment for myself and others."
© USW"I couldn't begin to stand up if not for the countless who’ve gone before me – and the masses who are still around us all – creating laws, social change, sparking conversations, rallying, working privately and publicly, risking and sometimes losing everything for the safety of others in all spaces."
