Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle It Ends With Us lawsuit

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have resolved their legal differences two weeks ahead of a federal trial.

The settlement comes after a year and a half of bitter feuding in court and in the press.

Lively had accused Baldoni, her director and co-star, of sexual harassment on the set of their 2024 film, It Ends With Us. She also alleged that when she raised complaints about it, he and his army of publicists engaged in a digital smear campaign to retaliate.

Baldoni responded with a lengthy defamation lawsuit.

In a joint statement released on Monday, the parties expressed their feelings about moving on.

"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. 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 recognise concerns raised by Ms Lively deserved to be heard. We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. 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."

The settlement comes about a month after Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of Lively's 13 civil claims, including all claims for harassment. The ruling left three claims - retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of contract - to be decided by a jury.

At the time, Lively's attorney said she looked forward to telling her story on the witness stand.