Actor-director Justin Baldoni and his wife broke their silence Wednesday on his legal battle with actress Blake Lively without identifying her by name or her sexual harassment lawsuit over his behavior during production of 2024’s hit film “It Ends With Us,” news outlets report.
Mr. Baldoni posted an Instagram video alluding to “so many painful things that have been spoken into existence” over the past two years, saying he and his wife chose to let “the justice system run its course.”
HIs wife, Emily Baldoni, said the family’s gratitude “doesn’t negate the injustice and the pain that we have also felt in the last few years” and the ordeal brought “a lot of trauma for us to move through as a family.”
The couple said they remain focused on healing, faith and their children, and they thanked friends and supporters.
Ms. Lively filed a complaint in December 2024 accusing Mr. Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment during filming. Mr. Baldoni filed a countersuit accusing Ms. Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion. A federal judge dismissed the countersuit.
In April, a federal judge dismissed 10 of Ms. Lively’s 13 claims, including sexual harassment, but allowed her breach-of-contract, retaliation, and aiding-and-abetting-retaliation claims to proceed.
In May, Mr. Baldoni and Ms. Lively reached an undisclosed settlement over her lawsuit. Her attorneys last month filed paperwork for more than $8 million in fees from the actor/director. Mr. Baldoni faces a Monday deadline to respond in court.
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