Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images
On Monday, two weeks before Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were scheduled to go to trial, they came to a settlement agreement in their dragged-out legal battle over It Ends With Us. Though several outlets have reported that neither Lively nor Baldoni are receiving money as part of the settlement, the details of the agreement have not been made public. Still, both parties seem to be happy with the results, and Lively’s attorneys issued a statement on Thursday calling the settlement a “resounding victory.”
But the It Ends With Us case hasn’t totally ended yet — in legal filings released Thursday, Lively’s attorneys said she’s still pursuing legal fees and other related damages. Lively is calling for the payment under California Civil Code Section 47.1, per the filing, which “imposes severe and mandatory penalties” against people who file “unsuccessful retaliatory defamation actions” after being sued for sexual harassment or retaliation. According to the New York Times, such fees could amount in the millions and prompt even more back-and-forth in the courts between the two actors.
Even as the litigation drags on, both Lively and Baldoni seem ready to celebrate. Lively showed up at the Met Gala a few hours after news of the settlement broke; Baldoni, meanwhile, was papped smiling and holding hands with his wife in Nashville on Wednesday. His lawyer told Extra that Baldoni is “ecstatic” with how things turned out.
In their own statement Thursday, Lively’s lawyers added, “By agreeing to this settlement, and waiving their right to appeal, Justin Baldoni and every individual defendant now face personal liability for abusing the legal system to silence and intimidate” Lively. They went on, “From day one Blake Lively’s mission was clear: expose and hold accountable those who weaponize smear campaigns and retaliatory lawsuits to intimidate and silence survivors. That mission continues.”
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