This week marked the end of Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s long-running legal battle, as both parties reached a settlement. In the aftermath, lawyers for both Lively (38) and Baldoni (42) have released statements in which they’ve weighed in on their decisions to end the case. WIth that skirmish behind the two stars, it would now seem that both are in a position to move forward accordingly. On that note, though, one of their It Ends with Us co-stars is making claims about why Baldoni is supposedly still going through a rough time.
Adam Mondschein – who plays Doctor Dunbar in It Ends with Us – is also a friend of Justin Baldoni and has apparently kept in touch with him amid his legal situation. Page Six recently spoke with Mondschein and, according to the actor, Baldoni is currently going through "emotional stress” after the conclusion of the case. As for why this period of time is purportedly still difficult for Baldoni, Mondschein says:
It’s a big burden to carry. It’s just like the weight and the emotional stress that this puts on him.
This claim should be taken with a grain of salt right now, as neither Baldoni nor his representatives have shared such comments on his current state. Long before Baldoni settled his dispute with Lively, though, insiders did allege that he was overwhelmed due to the amount of time and money he was funneling into the case. Now, Mondschein also claims Baldoni’s “heart is broken” and that he’s a man of “integrity” who “really cares” about the public’s perception of him. Mondschein adds:
He’s a real person. To maintain the knowledge that that’s not who you are, that’s exhausting.
The Real Winners Of The Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni Lawsuit? The Lawyers
In December 2024, after months of reports about supposed strife on the IEWU set, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni. The actress alleged at the time that Baldoni (who directed and co-starred alongside her in the movie) sexually harassed her on set. Lively also accused Baldoni of spearheading a smear campaign against her using a public relations firm. Baldoni later denied the allegations and, after Lively sued him on the grounds of those specific allegations, he countersued her for $400 million.
Lively saw a victory when Baldoni’s suit was dismissed nearly a year ago and, earlier this year, Baldoni also notched a win after 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against him were dismissed. The two stars were set to go to court, with that trial set to begin in New York on May 18. Of course, that all became moot once the situation was settled out of court, and Baldoni and Lively released a joint statement in which they both expressed gratitude for having been able to highlight domestic violence in IEWU. On that note, Mondschein added more thoughts on Baldoni’s vision for the movie:
The reason he wanted to direct this piece, the reason why he wanted to be in it, to put his heart on it, was because he found the book to be significant…. He was going to usher forth her book to a whole new audience, turning it into a movie … he wanted these conversations … about domestic violence, the responsibility that men have to have this conversation, not just the victims, not just the women. And so that was his whole drive.
More recently, after the lawsuit was settled, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, claimed he’d actually “won” the case due to a summary judgement, while Lively’s legal team also declared victory on her behalf. As for Baldoni's supposed feelings about the decision, Freedman said he was “ecstatic” about how everything panned out. Freedman also recently shared thoughts on Lively requesting damages from his client, calling that “nonsense” due to her trying to “parade around and call a loss a victory.”
There’s been no further update regarding Blake Lively’s desire for Justin Baldoni to cover damages. What also remains to be seen is whether Lively and Baldoni themselves might speak out directly now that their legal battle is at an end. Of course, even if that happened, it’s unclear whether a statement directly from Baldoni would confirm nor dispute Adam Mondschein’s claims about how he’s doing right now.
