Justin Baldoni’s lawyer reveals the 'real reason' behind the deal

Justin Baldoni’s lawyer has claimed Blake Lively was “scared” to testify at trial. He revealed the details in a detailed interview.

Days after the trial ended, Justin’s lawyer Bryan Freedman, in an interview with TMZ, noted, “Part of the reason Blake settled is that she was scared to take the witness stand at trial.” He further added, “She did not want to face cross-examination by anyone because that would require her to tell the truth”.

He continued with his claims and noted, “She ended up with nothing. If she’s doing this for survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment and retaliation, as she says, then why don’t you take the stand at trial and prove it to the world?”

“A trial would have exposed her lies and the entire smear she was talking about in her interviews that she did,” the law expert claimed. In response to his comments, Blake’s legal team said, “I guess he’s no longer ‘ecstatic’ about the settlement.” This response is in reference to Freedman previously stating that he can’t “talk about the terms of the settlement,” but his client is “ecstatic.”

Blake and Justin issued a joint statement through their representatives earlier this week confirming they had reached an undisclosed settlement. The statement read, “The end product, the movie It Ends With Us, is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life.”

“Raising awareness and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors and all survivors is a goal that we stand behind. We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognise concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard,” it further mentioned.

“We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online,” the statement concluded of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s settlement.

The 42-year-old star and the 38-year-old actress had been locked in a high-profile legal dispute since December 2024 following their work on the 2024 movie It Ends With Us, and the pair finally reached an out-of-court settlement agreement on Monday. For context, Blake accused Justin, who starred in and directed It Ends With Us, of sexual harassment and coordinating a smear campaign against her.

Justin, who played Blake’s on-screen love interest in the movie, and his Wayfarer Studios production company subsequently countersued the actress and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing the Hollywood couple of defamation and extortion.