Justin Baldoni’s legal battle with Blake Lively now seems to be finished and, per reports, his main “focus” is now on his family. However, as is the case with Lively as well, there are still questions regarding what lies ahead for Baldoni from a professional standpoint. As far as the public knows right now, the It Ends with Us director/co-lead hasn’t booked any additional gigs. Entertainment experts have weighed in on whether there’s a path forward for Baldoni and, now, one is sharing thoughts on his “only route back” to Tinseltown.
During Lively and Baldoni’s lawsuit skirmish, sources alleged that the situation had done considerable damage to their reputations. The notion of the two actors’ public images being hurt was also brought up in a lengthy story from Us Weekly. One individual the news outlet spoke to was PR expert Mark Borkowski, who spoke about Baldoni and Lively’s current situations. While Borkowski argued that “Blake suffered the most,” he also opined that Baldoni needed to keep his head down for a while:
Justin’s only route back [is to] make something good and [be quiet] for two years.
Before the legal matter, Baldoni had mostly been directing and producing in more recent years. He notably helmed 2019’s Five Feet Apart and 2020’s Clouds and served as a producer on The Garfield Movie, Ezra and The Senior. In addition, Baldoni co-hosted the Man Enough podcast with Liz Plank, who left the show in 2024 after Lively leveled sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni. Aside from Brokowski’s hiatus comments, fellow PR veteran David Johnson says there are other key factors that should be considered:
Recovery from a case like this depends on three factors, the absence of new controversies, continued professional achievement and time.
Blake Lively initially filed her legal complaint against Justin Baldoni in 2024, and she eventually filed suit against him over the alleged sexual harassment and more, with other defendants being named in the suit as well. Baldoni denied Lively’s allegations and eventually countersued her as well as others like her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for alleged extortion and defamation. After both sides saw their share of legal wins and losses, they settled the case in May 2026, though they eventually went back to court one more time afterwards. Ultimately, a judge ruled that Baldoni would have to pay Lively’s attorneys’ fees but not damages.
Over a month ago, studio executives and other industry bigwigs weighed in on what Lively and Baldoni’s careers could be like after their legal woes. A casting director opined that they were “both in for a rough time.” When it comes to Lively, Borkowski reasoned to Us Weekly that she was hurt more “because people viewed her as humorous, family-oriented and approachable.” Within that same story, however, it’s argued that Lively can rebuild her career by “undeniable in the work and boring everywhere else.”
Previous reports also indicated that Blake Lively was already planning career moves post-legal drama. Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni’s path is a bit unclear, though it’s been alleged that he wants to make an It Ends with Us sequel and is purportedly open to Lively being involved as well. Time will tell if that theoretical follow-up will actually materialize and if Baldoni will heed the career advice from those PR experts by taking a break.
