Justin Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman gave an update on the director’s mindset following the final court ruling in his nearly two-year legal battle with Blake Lively.
Speaking on an episode of Hot Mics with Billy Bush” shared on X (formerly Twitter) on June 16, 2026, Freedman was asked whether Baldoni was “totally defeated, deflated” or already moving forward. He repllied saying,
“I think his mindset is that he’s only looking forward to the future and put his life back on track and continue to do the great work that he’s done before”
Freedman added that Baldoni was approaching the situation “from a place of authenticity.” The comments came after a judge ordered Justin Baldoni to pay Blake Lively’s legal fees while denying her request for damages, closing out the central legal dispute.
More about the final ruling in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battle
The litigation concluded on Friday, June 12, 2026, when a New York judge ruled that Blake Lively was entitled to recover her defense costs under California’s Protecting Survivors From Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act, also known as Section 47.1, according to US Weekly. The same ruling denied Lively’s request for triple and punitive damages.
The Hollywood Reporter described the outcome on June 15, 2026, as a “bold wager” by Lively’s legal team that ultimately did not pay off, noting that her side had focused their remaining claim entirely on the California statute after earlier claims were dismissed.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman wrote that the law “does not create an end run around the entire set of carefully crafted federal procedural rules.” That compensatory and punitive damages fell outside its narrow exception, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Blake Lively’s attorneys characterized the ruling as confirmation that she “brought her claims in good faith” and acted without malice, per US Weekly. Bryan Freedman, meanwhile, estimated the litigation cost Lively between $30 million and $60 million and argued that the absence of any direct monetary payout to her undercut claims of victory. According to US Weekly, he said
“If it was so good, why do you settle a case exchanging no money? It doesn’t make any sense”
Bryan Freedman’s comments on Justin Baldoni’s character
In the same interview shared on X (formerly Twitter), Bryan Freedman pointed to the volume of private communications made public throughout the case as evidence of Justin Baldoni’s character. Arguing that nothing negative had ever surfaced in Baldoni’s own writing, he said,
“Everybody got to kind of read every text message and every email. It just goes to show you what kind of wonderful human being he really is and how he really tries to look for the good in every situation.”
The lawyer acknowledged the case had nonetheless been “a struggle” for his client.
Bryan Freedman drew a direct comparison between the two sides’ communications, referencing messages attributed to Blake Lively that allegedly discussed retaliatory plans involving people in her orbit. He said,
“You look at like Blake Lively’s and there she is saying, oh my God, we’ll fool this when he comes to my apartment and we’ll screw him over”
The lawyer also referenced alleged comments about Blake Lively’s agent.
“If you just took their two, like, of the text messages that became public, you know, he clearly proved to be the person of higher character”
More about the settlement between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni reached their settlement on May 4, 2026, just two weeks before the case was set to go to trial, according to US Weekly.
In a joint statement issued through their attorneys at the time, the two said they “acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard,” while expressing hope that the resolution would allow “all involved to move forward constructively and in peace.”
As part of the agreement, Justin Baldoni waived his right to appeal the dismissal of his own $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively.
TheWrap reported on June 15, 2026, that Freedman published the full, non-confidential settlement agreement on Monday’s episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, explaining that doing so would provide clarity on what the agreement actually permits.
Noting that the settlement leaves no room for Lively to revisit damages provisions later, Freedman said,
“The other parties in the case won’t be able to resurrect the ruling that she’s entitled to her attorney’s fees”
He added that the only remaining issue is for Judge Liman to determine the specific dollar amount of attorney’s fees owed under Section 47.1.
Bryan Freedman expressed hope that both Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively could move past the dispute following the ruling. “I think it’s finally over,” he told Megyn Kelly, per TheWrap, adding,
“I’m hoping it’s finally over with respect to allowing Blake to move on, allowing Justin and the other parties to move on.”
He acknowledged that some “collateral matters” still need to be resolved but suggested the core of the case had reached its end, adding that he hoped “people will wish the best for each other and come to that place that says, you know what, enough is enough.”
The Hollywood Reporter noted that nothing in the settlement prevents Lively from filing a new, separate lawsuit over Justin Baldoni’s allegedly retaliatory defamation claim, though Freedman indicated he believes it is “time to move on” from the matter entirely.
Michael Gottlieb, Lively’s lead attorney, had previously framed the dispute as being fundamentally about accountability rather than financial compensation, telling an industry podcast that public sentiment toward Blake Lively shifted once Justin Baldoni’s side filed its own defamation lawsuit and “went on a press tour branding her a liar.”
Whether that sentiment shifts again in the aftermath of the final ruling remains to be seen as both parties attempt to move forward.
Edited by Devangee Halder