The Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni dispute began in 2024 during production of the film, It Ends With Us. The matter involved allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation and reputational harm that were later contested through lawsuits and countersuits filed by both parties.
On December 20, 2024, Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department followed by a Federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In January of 2025, Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, filed a $400 million countersuit. After extensive motion practice, including the dismissal of Baldoni's countersuit in June 2025 and the dismissal of most of Lively’s claims in April 2026, the two parties reached a confidential settlement on May 4, 2026, just weeks before the trial was set to begin.
The matter brought together prominent legal teams on both sides, including attorneys and firms recognized by Best Lawyers® for their experience in complex litigation and high-profile disputes.
Michael J. Gottlieb
Michael J. Gottlieb served as lead counsel for Blake Lively. A partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, in Washington, D.C., he has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2021 for Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White-Collar.
Gottlieb serves as Chair of the firm’s Crisis Management Group and Co-Chair of the firms’ Media & First Amendment Practice Group and Strategic Motions & Appeals Practice Group. He is known for handling high-stakes, media-intensive disputes involving reputational harm, defamation, government investigations and crisis management. In this dispute, he played a central role in creating and shaping the litigation and resolution strategy.
Esra A. Hudson
Esra A. Hudson, recognized in The Best Lawyers in America since 2022 for Commercial Litigation, is a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP in Los Angeles and serves as the leader of the firm’s Employment and Labor Practice.
Hudson was one of Lively’s lead attorneys, heading the Manatt team alongside Gottlieb. She is a trusted advisor in high-stakes employment disputes involving public scrutiny, workplace allegations and reputational issues. Her experience includes representing entertainment industry clients in discrimination, harassment, wage-and-hour, trade secrets and PAGA matters. In this dispute, she contributed significantly to motion practice and overall litigation strategy.
Bryan Freedman
Bryan Freedman, co-founder of Liner Freedman Taitelman + Cooley LLP, represented Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. Liner Freedman Taitelman + Cooley LLP is a leading law firm represented in the Best Lawyers Awards by Theresa Troupson for work in Litigation - Intellectual Property.
A prominent entertainment litigator in Los Angeles, Freedman has decades of experience handling contractual disputes, reputational matters and complex litigation involving public figures and media companies. In this matter, he led the defense and countersuit strategy throughout the proceedings.
Proceedings and Resolution
The case advanced through significant motion practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Following key rulings in June 2025 and April 2026, that narrowed the claims on both sides, the parties reached a confidential settlement.
The Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni litigation demonstrates the importance of skilled counsel in navigating complex, high-visibility disputes in entertainment and employment law, as well as reputation management.
The legal teams involved in the case represent a range of practice areas recognized by Best Lawyers. Readers can explore additional attorneys through the Best Lawyers Find a Lawyer directory.
