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Justin Baldoni’s longtime friend Adam Mondschein is sharing insight into how the actor is feeling after settling his lengthy legal battle with It Ends With Us costar Blake Lively.
“It’s the bittersweetness of having this part of it let go, which is why I think they accepted the settlement,” Mondschein, 50, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, May 7. “It’s a conflicted time. It feels like that, but the game’s not over.”
Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 42, announced their settlement on Monday, May 4, just two weeks before their case was scheduled to go to trial.
“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,” the pair said in a statement to Us via their attorneys. “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”
The statement continued, “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.”
Lively later filed a notice of settlement, in which she requested damages to cover her attorneys’ fees and costs, as well as compensatory and punitive damages, according to court documents obtained by Us on Thursday.
“This settlement is a resounding victory for Blake Lively,” her attorneys told Us on Thursday. “By agreeing to this settlement, and waiving their right to appeal, Justin Baldoni and every individual defendant now face personal liability for abusing the legal system to silence and intimidate Ms. Lively. And by admitting that Ms. Lively’s concerns ‘deserved to be heard,’ the defendants have ended once and for all the fiction that Ms. Lively ‘fabricated’ claims of sexual harassment and retaliation.”
Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman responded to the filing in a separate statement to Us.
“Let’s be clear, this is a win and total victory for the Wayfarer parties,” he said, referring to Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios. “The court had already dismissed 10 of Ms. Lively’s 13 claims, including every sexual harassment claim, every defamation claim, and all claims against the individual defendants.”
Freedman continued, “Ms. Lively voluntarily dismissed the rest. In our view, they settled because they knew they were going to lose in court. All that remains is a pending request for fees based on a very narrow issue that has been with the court since September 2025.”
Though Mondschein said Baldoni’s team is “worried,” “nervous” and “braced” for what Lively’s team is planning to do next, he emphasized that the “relief is there” now that their legal battle — which began in December 2024 — is being resolved.
“The support is beautiful, from the community, from the strangers,” he continued. “I think they’re waiting to truly celebrate. But there’s just no question that this is a win.”
Mondschein added that Baldoni is “very happy” to put the case behind him.
“I think there’s obviously this period of waiting to see what happens next,” he concluded. “I think they’re very relieved, and they’re excited for the day that the celebration can actually begin, but because it’s not truly over for them, I think we’re the ones that get to celebrate a little bit for them. We’ll all be very glad when this is no longer part of the general conversation.”
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