"Afraid to testify." It has been revealed why Blake Lively settled with Justin Baldoni, whom she accused of sexual harassment.

Justin Baldoni's lawyer poked fun at Blake Lively's defense team, revealing the real reason the actress settled with Baldoni, whom she had previously accused of sexual harassment.

"Blake accepted the settlement because she was afraid to testify in court. She didn't want to be cross-examined because it would require her to tell the truth," attorney Brian Friedman told TMZ.

Friedman then commented on Lively's defense lawyers, who on Thursday called the settlement a "landmark victory for Blake": "Blake filed a $300 million lawsuit and ended up with nothing. If that's a 'landmark victory,' then what does defeat look like?"

Friedman also added: "If she's doing this for the victims of sexual harassment, as she claims, then why doesn't she testify in court and prove it to the world? The court would expose her lies and all the slander she's spoken about in her interviews."

Let us recall that 38-year-old actress Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against her co-star in the film "It Ends with Us," Justin Baldoni, who was also the director of the film, accusing him of harassment, defamation, and emotional pressure.

In early May 2025, it was announced that Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni had reached a settlement after a two-year legal battle. Shortly before, the court had dismissed most of the actress's lawsuit, including the allegations of sexual harassment.

The actress's image suffered significant damage during the trial. After Lively's text messages were published as part of the lawsuit, online users accused her of lying, toxicity, racism, and harassment. Most of the actress's followers believe she only settled the case to preserve her career.

At the same time, Lively's husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, with whom Blake is raising four children, supported her throughout the process.

Photo: blakelively, justinbaldoni/Instagram*still from the film "It Ends with Us"/Warner Bros.*