‘It Ends With Us’ cast members Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni surprised everyone when the high-profile case was settled two weeks before it was due to go to trial.Amidst rumors that a lot of money changed hands in the “settlement,” new reports indicate that the buzz is far from the truth. According to a report on TMZ, and confirmed by Page Six, neither Lively nor Baldoni received any monetary compensation.According to Page Six, the two sides have been negotiating for several weeks and were “encouraged to reach an agreement.” A few days before the last-minute deal, Lively hired the famous law firm Susman Godfrey to bolster her legal defense, but they pushed for a “last-minute deal.” This settlement was reached shortly before proceedings escalated in the courts.While Lively and Baldoni reportedly walked away from this settlement with nothing, the same could not be said for their law firms. Lively and Baldoni’s legal teams won $60 million to sue each other, sources told Page Six Hollywood.The settlement comes amid indications that the case did not move forward in Lively’s favor, with reports that a judge significantly narrowed the scope of the claims against Baldoni. Last month, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including sexual harassment, defamation and conspiracy.It ruled that only three of his claims could proceed: breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting retaliation.Neither Lively nor Baldoni’s representatives have publicly commented on the deal, but they have issued a joint statement. “The final product—the movie ‘It Ends With Us’—is a source of pride for all of us who worked to bring it to life,” the two sides said, adding, “Raising awareness and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors and survivors is the goal we stand behind.”Both parties added that they “remain steadfastly committed to workplaces free of inappropriateness and unproductive environments” and “sincerely hope that this will bring closure and constructive and peaceful progress for all involved, including a respectful online environment.”Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were scheduled to be sentenced on May 18.
