Justin Baldoni has publicly addressed the surprise settlement involving Blake Lively for the first time.
In an Instagram video posted on Wednesday, July 8, Justin appeared alongside his wife, Emily Baldoni, as he began addressing the situation, saying, “We have not spoken publicly for the better part of the last two years, and it’s not because we haven’t had anything to say.”
“Because lord knows we have, but it just felt like every time we went to make a video like this, we wanted to speak, something was telling us not to,” he continued.
The Five Feet Apart star mentioned, “It just didn’t feel like the right time, and we were talking about it and feeling into it and praying about it.”
Emily confirmed, “This feels like the moment,” adding, “There’s so much to say.”
Justin did not directly reference Lively in the video, explaining that he and Emily would keep some matters private.
Emily went on to express "immense gratitude" for the support and experiences they had received.
“Gratitude has saved us,” Justin added.
Emily stated that their gratitude “doesn’t negate the injustice and the pain that we have also felt in the last few years. We’ve had to wrestle with so many things and try to understand so many things, like how could something like this even happen? Let alone disguised as a fight for women. So much to unpack.”
Emily said the emotional toll of the past events has made it hard for them to speak candidly.
“We don’t even know if this is the right thing to say,” Justin said.
He added, “We just know we need to share something. What I will say is that there have been so many painful things that have been spoken into existence over the last couple of years. That created so much noise, and we didn’t want to add to the noise. So we just wanted to let the justice system run its course.”
Justin said he and his family are healing, adding that recovery "isn't linear" and that the experience has reinforced the importance of family, friends, community and faith.
The Jane The Virgin star said the couple has grown closer and stronger in their faith, while Emily said they are focused on healing, spending time with their children and enjoying life, adding they will share more when the time is right.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni legal trial
Their remarks come after Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation.
Baldoni denied the claims and filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and her PR firm, which was later dismissed.
The legal battle had been scaled back ahead of trial, with only select retaliation claims still in dispute. Lively was expected to testify before both sides agreed to settle.
Last month, a federal judge ruled that Blake Lively could recover attorneys' fees tied to Justin Baldoni's counterclaim, while any punitive damages would require a separate legal action.
Weeks later, Lively's legal team sought more than $8 million in legal fees.
