Settlement Isn't Enough: Blake Lively Demands More From Baldoni

The It Ends With Us legal saga took another turn this week, and it’s becoming clear that declaring victory and moving on weren’t quite the same thing for Blake Lively.

Just days after both camps announced they’d reached a settlement—presumably to avoid a trial set for May 18—Lively’s legal team filed court documents on Thursday, May 7, requesting damages beyond what the settlement already provided. She’s asking for attorney’s fees, treble damages for what she calls the“retaliatory defamation action”from Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, and punitive damages meant to send a message. In other words, this fight isn’t over, even though both sides said it was.

Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, didn’t hide his frustration. Calling Lively’s move“more nonsense”and suggesting she’s trying to“parade around and call a loss a victory,”Freedman made it clear he sees this as Lively refusing to accept what he views as the outcome. He went further, suggesting that Lively struggles with accountability and self-reflection—harsh language for someone whose client just agreed to settle.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Lively’s attorneys countered that the settlement itself is a win. By having Baldoni waive his right to appeal and agree to the deal, they argue he’s essentially admitting the legal system was weaponized against their client. The joint statement did acknowledge that concerns raised by Lively“deserved to be heard,”which her team interprets as a vindication of her original claims of sexual harassment and retaliation.

The backdrop matters here. Back in December 2024, Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment, defamation, breach of contract, and retaliation. A judge dismissed 10 of her 13 claims last month. Baldoni countersued for $400 million, but his entire lawsuit got dismissed in June 2025. Neither side walked away with a knockout.

Now the question is whether a judge will grant Lively’s request for damages on top of the settlement. Freedman indicated Baldoni won’t be writing a check for harassment allegations and said his client has maintained from day one that settling a case involving sexual harassment claims wasn’t on the table. But court documents don’t lie, and those filing requirements do continue even after settlements are announced. What happens next is up to the judge—and potentially, another round of courtroom drama.