Overview
- The case, which both sides moved to withdraw Thursday after reaching a deal Monday, ends the main lawsuit weeks before a scheduled trial.
- Settlement terms remain confidential, with multiple outlets reporting no money changed hands as Baldoni’s lawyer said he was ecstatic yet declined to discuss specifics.
- Lively filed to preserve a narrow claim seeking attorneys’ fees and punitive or treble damages over Baldoni’s dismissed defamation suit, and the judge’s ruling will be final with no appeals.
- The settlement followed Judge Lewis J. Liman’s April rulings that tossed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims and removed some defendants, while Baldoni’s separate $400 million countersuit had already been dismissed.
- The dispute spotlighted leaked PR communications and brand fallout, including internal messages that retail partners for Lively’s Betty Buzz were “spooked,” showing how online campaigns can rattle celebrity businesses.