Unscripted sex scenes and PR wars: ‘It Ends with Us’ lawsuit concludes with partial win for Blake Lively

NEW YORK, June 13 — US actor Justin Baldoni must pay legal fees but not damages to It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively, a New York judge ruled Friday, settling a years-long legal battle.

The decision marks a partial victory for Lively, who was fighting a defamation suit brought by Baldoni and his production company, which Lively claimed was retaliation for sexual harassment allegations she made.

The pair settled their dispute in May, avoiding a costly civil trial, though no settlement figure was disclosed.

Lively's initial complaint said Baldoni – who also directed It Ends With Us – had spoken inappropriately about his sex life and sought to alter the film to include sex scenes that were not in the script.

It further said that Baldoni waged a PR campaign to wreck Lively's reputation.

Baldoni and the studio Wayfarer in turn countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds with claims of extortion and defamation.

Federal judge Lewis Liman, who issued Friday's judgment, dismissed Baldoni's claims in June 2025 and struck down parts of Lively's complaints this April.

Based on a best-selling novel by US writer Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us made more than US$350 million (RM1.4 billion) at the box office in 2024, making it one of the biggest hits of the year. — AFP