Justin Baldoni makes rare appearance with family after settling legal battle with Blake Lively

Justin Baldoni has made a rare public appearance following the settlement of his long-running legal dispute with Blake Lively. The actor and director was seen at Dancing With the Stars with his family on Tuesday. It was the show's Super Bowl Night episode, which featured sports commentator Joe Buck as a guest judge.

Justin Baldoni at DWTS

The 42-year-old was accompanied by his wife, Emily Baldoni, and their children, Maiya, 11, and Maxwell, 8. Several videos circulating online show the family looking for their seats before the live show began.

They were also briefly visible in the audience, applauding after Irish television personality Maura Higgins and professional dancer Mark Ballas opened the episode with a tango.

Also Read: It Ends With Us battle: Justin Baldoni's legal team reveals actor will provide testimony in person to push back Blake Lively's allegations

As per Page Six, Baldoni attended the show at the invitation of his longtime friend and Dancing With the Stars co-host Julianne Hough. The two have known each other for years, having worked together on the 2016 documentary series My Last Days.

Justin Baldoni Blake Lively legal battle

Baldoni and Lively also appeared together in the 2024 film It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. The two have been locked in a legal battle since December 2024, when Lively accused Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of sexual harassment and retaliation.

Also Read: It Ends With Us feud: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni fail to resolve dispute, trial set for May 2026

Also Read: Yearender 2025: Know all about the legal battle between It Ends With Us stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively

She also alleged that a campaign had been coordinated to damage her reputation.

Baldoni denied the allegations and subsequently filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and others.

The lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge in June 2025.

The parties reached a settlement in May 2026. The settlement came after a judge had dismissed most of Lively's claims.

In August, Lively was awarded approximately $407,000 in legal fees and costs, according to Entertainment Weekly. Her legal team had initially sought around $8 million.

Also Read: Court officially shuts down Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, know why

What Justin said after the legal dispute

In July, Baldoni and his wife Emily addressed their prolonged silence in a joint social media video.

"We have not spoken publicly for the better part of the last two years," Baldoni said in the video. "There have been so many painful things that have been spoken to existence. We didn't want to add to the noise, so we just wanted to let the justice system run its course."

Emily also spoke about the emotional toll of the situation, saying, "It’s important as we say that, in that gratitude, it doesn’t negate the injustice and the pain that we have also felt in the last few years."

She added, “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 disguise[d] as a fight for women. [There’s] so much to unpack, and the truth is that there’s been a lot of trauma for us to move through as a family, which also makes it hard to speak.”