Justin Baldoni’s lawyer has claimed Blake Lively was “scared” into testifying at his trial.
The 42-year-old star and the 38-year-old actress were embroiled in a high-profile legal dispute since December 2024 following their work in the 2024 film. It ends with us, And the pair finally reached an out-of-court settlement agreement on Monday.
A few days later, Justin’s attorney Brian Freedom alleged in a statement tmz, “One reason Blake settled was because she was afraid to take the witness stand at trial.”
“She did not want to face cross-examination by anyone because that would require her to tell the truth,” he said.
For context, Blake accused Justin, who starred in and directed It ends with us, To coordinate campaigns against sexual harassment and stigmatization.
Justine, who played Blake’s on-screen girlfriend in the film, and her Wayfarer Studios production company later sued the actress and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing the Hollywood couple of defamation and extortion.
Freeman claimed that “she got nothing”, and even questioned her motivations, saying, “If she’s doing this for survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment and retaliation, as she says, why don’t you take the stand in the lawsuit and prove it to the world?”
The legal expert claimed, “The trial will expose her lies and all the stigma she has been talking about in her interviews.”
In response to his comments, Blake’s legal team said: “I understand that he is no longer ‘excited’ by the settlement.”
The response comes in the context of Freeman previously saying he “can’t talk about the terms of the deal” but that his client is “excited.”
Blake and Justin released a joint statement through their representatives earlier this week confirming that they have reached an undisclosed settlement.
“The final product – the film It Ends With Us – is a source of pride for all of us who worked to bring it to life,” the statement said.
“Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors – and all survivors – is a goal we stand behind. We acknowledge the challenges in this process and find the concerns raised by Ms Lively deserve to be heard,” it further noted.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s settlement concluded, “We are firmly committed to freeing workplaces from unfairness and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this will bring closure and allow everyone involved to move forward constructively and peacefully, including in a respectful environment.”
