It ends with… a whole lot more work to do to repair Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni‘s image and lives following their legal battle!
As we’ve been following, the former It Ends With Us co-stars’ lawsuit drama is almost at the finish line. Blake and Justin settled their case out of court in May. Then Judge Lewis Liman ordered the filmmaker and his company Wayfarer Studios to pay the Gossip Girl alum’s legal fees under a California law created to protect sexual harassment victims from retaliatory defamation claims. However, her request for punitive and treble damages was denied.
All that is left to do is wait for Judge Liman to determine the amount Justin will have to pay Blake, which he has yet to do! She won’t walk away with millions like she wanted to since they settled the sexual harassment and retaliation suit for no money at all, but she’ll get something now. What that is, again, we don’t know at this time.
Related: Wait, Have Taylor Swift And Blake Lively Reconciled?!
Until then, the pair is determined to move on. One source told Us Weekly on Wednesday that “Justin’s focus is on his family and living in the moment,” adding:
“He wants to get back to some sense of normalcy for them.”
Meanwhile, a second source shared that “Blake is focused on rebuilding her career,” and “she’s confident she can come back from this.” The 38-year-old actress may or may not be getting an assist from one of the top fashion powerhouses, Anna Wintour, to get her career back on track, too! However, Blake needs a lot of help to rehab her image! Not even Anna may be able to change the public’s perception of the A Simple Favor star! As David Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision PR Group, put it to Us Weekly:
“Neither side emerged as an overall winner. But Blake suffered the most because people viewed her as humorous, family-oriented and approachable, and the lawsuit tarnished that image.”
It also doesn’t help that she had a massive falling out with the biggest star in the world and her dragon as a result of her legal dispute: Taylor Swift! We all know what happens when Tay and the Swifties aren’t on your side anymore! Just ask all of the pop star’s enemies…
So what should Blake do to fix the problem? PR expert Mark Borkowski thinks she needs to focus on work (if she can get any) and keep her personal life, just that, personal. And drama-free! No more nasty public feuds! Borkowski explained:
“[She should be] undeniable in the work and boring everywhere else. Boring is the most underrated crisis strategy in the business.”
Blake isn’t the only one who needs to stay in line. Not everyone was on Justin’s side during the It Ends With Us war, so his good guy in Hollywood persona did take a hit. Now he also needs to do some damage control. Johnson said:
“Recovery from a case like this depends on three factors: the absence of new controversies, continued professional achievement and time.”
So, Borkowski thinks that “Justin’s only route back [is to] make something good and [be quiet] for two years.” That means no other huge feuds or allegations against him, too.
Not going to trial ultimately will benefit both of them in the long run if they want a Hollywood comeback, but part of Blake apparently still wishes she had gotten her day in court. A third source noted:
“Blake was anxious, but also prepared. She had accepted that a trial was a real possibility and spent months getting herself mentally prepared. Part of Blake wanted the opportunity to tell her story in court. She thought she would at least win [when it came to] public opinion.”
At the same time, she feels relieved to leave all this drama behind her:
“She felt confident in her position, but it was still incredibly stressful. She was ready to fully focus on her family, her career and getting back to normal life instead of staying tied up in litigation for another year.”
Justin is feeling the same way. The first insider said he felt “a huge sense of relief” when Judge Liman dismissed 10 of Blake’s 13 allegations months before the two settled the lawsuit. And while Wayfarer was set to defend itself against the remaining three claims, the Jane The Virgin alum is reportedly thrilled “to put an end to a drawn-out legal process.”
Because both know that a trial would’ve ruined them more! Publicist Steven Cuoco explained that “nothing tanks public perception faster than dragging your mess into a courtroom and letting the world watch it turn into a full-blown circus.” And settling, he added, “gives off the vibe that Blake and Justin finally chose the grown-up route.”
Well, sort of. Certain folks feel she’s still being petty. The first source fired back that some see Blake “put everyone through hell and then settled” and is “trying to find new pathways because she doesn’t feel vindicated.” That means getting him to pay her legal fees under that California law for unlawfully retaliating against a sexual harassment and retaliation victim through litigation. To which a source close to Blake argued that “only after Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties were finally willing to admit that Ms. Lively did not fabricate her claims, and that her claims ‘deserved to be heard,’ she was willing and able to reach an agreement.” They continued:
“There is only one side that lost their entire lawsuit, and that was Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties, whose $400 million was dismissed in its entirety.”
However, the first source doesn’t agree. They clapped back:
“Blake’s team asked to settle. The settlement was a mutual decision to move forward. There was no admission of wrongdoing by any defendant. The parties simply agreed that Blake had the right to share her perspective and have it heard. That’s as far as it went.”
But, honestly, if you’re trying to pick a winner here, it’s hard. Attorney Joe Meadows weighed in, saying:
“Baldoni lost his countersuit and now faces a fee award to Lively.”
Bryan Freedman noted to Us that The New York Times spent $180,000 in legal fees when Justin sued the outlet for defamation and predicts the director will need to pay Blake “in the neighborhood of that amount.” Regardless, the first source said that “the expectation is attorney’s fees should be a drop in the bucket compared to the millions Blake was seeking.” Which is why Meadows also mentioned:
“On the other side, most of Lively’s claims were dismissed, and no damages were awarded. The outcome seems genuinely mixed.”
Attorney Lisa Bloom ultimately believes “the only true winners here were the lawyers.” But looking ahead, Justin already has new work lined up. He is producing the upcoming film Dinner with Audrey. He’s not interested in directing or acting again at this moment, though. The first source revealed:
“He’s not worried about work. He feels like when he’s ready, it will work out. He’s been patient and let the process play out. That was important to him.”
Justin is also possibly planning to write a book:
“[It would be] about his experience and the impact it’s had on him. But nothing is solid, and he’s in no rush. He’s still processing and healing.”
Fortunately, that healing has been made easier since moving to Nashville last year with his wife Emily and their children:
“It’s been a difficult time for his family, and he wanted to create some privacy. It’s been a really welcoming community, and he’s living as much of a normal life as he can. This brought them closer. She’s a grounding force. He’s been very lucky to have an incredible support system around him.”
Sounds like Justin is doing well for himself after the legal mess so far…
For her part, Blake’s looking to start new projects:
“She is rebuilding right now and looking at projects that would be the best fit for her. She wants to get back to work but is being intentional about it. She’d love to work on more female-driven projects moving forward. This experience reinforced how important it is for her to feel safe and supported. This took a huge toll on Blake’s mental health, and there were days she couldn’t get out of bed. At times, her kids and Ryan were the only reason she could push forward. They are a strong family unit.”
Her source insisted The Shallows star wants to move on, “but not at the expense of seeing justice done.” Well, we’ll see if Blake’s satisfied with the results once the judge determines how much Justin will have to cough up to her in the end.
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Drop ’em in the comments (below)!
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
