For the first time since their high-profile legal battle with Blake Lively came to an end, Justin Baldoni and his wife Emily have broken their silence. The couple opened up about the “injustice,” the “trauma,” and the painful journey they say they’ve endured over the past two years, while revealing why they chose to remain silent until now.

Justin Baldoni is speaking out after reaching a settlement in his legal dispute with Blake Lively tied to their 2024 film It Ends With Us.

In an Instagram video alongside his wife Emily Baldoni on Wednesday, July 8, Justin begins, “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. It just didn’t feel like the right time, and we were talking about it and feeling into it and praying about it,” he continues.

Emily confirms, “This feels like the moment,” adding, “There’s so much to say.”

The couple’s remarks come nearly two years after Lively sued Baldoni and others tied to It Ends with Us in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni denied the allegations and filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane’s PR firm, alleging defamation and breach of contract. That suit was later dismissed.

Ahead of trial, the case had been significantly narrowed, with only a limited set of retaliation-related claims remaining. Lively had been expected to testify before the parties reached a settlement.

A federal judge ruled last month that Lively is entitled to attorneys’ fees related to Baldoni’s counterclaim, but that any claim for treble or punitive damages would have to be pursued through a separate lawsuit or counterclaim. Nearly three weeks later, on June 30, Lively’s lawyers made a statement following the actress’ filing seeking over $8 million in legal fees.

“Those considering using a lawsuit as a weapon of intimidation have been put on notice that there are consequences,” the actress’ attorneys said. “This ruling creates an important precedent, promotes accountability, and protects those who face retaliation for speaking the truth.”

Justin, who does not mention Lively’s name in Wednesday’s video, notes that they won’t cover everything in their message. Emily agrees and expresses “immense gratitude for … so many people and so many things that have happened to us.”

“Gratitude has saved us,” Justin adds.

Still, Emily states 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.”

She shares that she and Justin have experienced “a lot of trauma” that makes it difficult to speak openly.

“We don’t even know if this is the right thing to say,” Justin says. “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.”

Emily states that “the truth and the facts have spoken for themselves.”

As for how they’re doing, Justin says, “We are healing. If you’ve ever been through something traumatic, you know that healing isn’t linear. It looks different every day. We have had to rethink for ourselves what is real, and what matters. It’s this. It’s our family, it’s our friends, it’s our community, who have been their for us, it’s our faith.”

Justin adds that he and Emily, who wed in July 2013, have grown “closer, more devoted, and steadfast in our faith than we’ve ever been.”

Emily adds, “There’s so much more to say. The time will come. But for now, we are going to focus on continuing the healing and hanging out with our kiddos and enjoying life.”

In May, attorneys for both sides announced they had reached a settlement, ending the months-long legal battle that had been set to go to trial in New York on May 18.

Lively’s lawyers Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson said at the time, “Thanks to this landmark decision, those considering using a lawsuit as a weapon of intimidation have been put on notice that there are consequences for doing so.”

“The end product, the movie It Ends With Us, is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life,” attorneys for both sides said in a joint statement issued May 4. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors, and all survivors, is a goal that we stand behind.”

The statement continued, “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard. We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”

Meanwhile, Bryan Freedman, who represents Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, characterized the settlement as a “total victory” for his clients.

In a May 8 court filing submitted after the settlement was announced, attorneys for Wayfarer said Lively agreed to dismiss her three remaining claims “without the Wayfarer Defendants paying a cent” of the $300 million in damages she had sought.

“Let’s be clear, this is a win and total victory for the Wayfarer parties,” Freedman said in a statement issued after the settlement announcement. “The court had already dismissed 10 of Ms. Lively’s 13 claims, including every sexual harassment claim, every defamation claim, and all claims against the individual defendants. Ms. Lively voluntarily dismissed the rest.”

Lively starred in It Ends With Us, while Baldoni directed and appeared as her costar in the romantic drama, which was adapted by Christy Hall from the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover. The film went on to become a box office hit, grossing more than $350 million worldwide.