Donald Trump and Univision ended their legal battle on Feb. 11 after months of arbitration over the media company's abrupt decision to cut ties with the former Miss USA and Miss Universe owner last year, following his disparaging remarks about Mexican immigrants.

Details of the settlement were not disclosed, but the action ends the $500 million lawsuit that had been simmering ever since the Republican 2016 presidential front-runner filed suit early last year.

"I have known Donald Trump for many years in both a personal and professional capacity and we are pleased to settle this matter and move forward," said Univision President and CEO Randy Falco in a statement released to Latin Post.

Trump Responds to Settlement

Reached on the campaign trail in South Carolina early Thursday, Trump was cordial after the announcement.

"I have known Randy Falco for more than 20 years and I'm glad we are able to put these differences behind us," he said.

All the controversy began after Trump used a June campaign rally, marking his formal entry into the crowded GOP field, to attack Mexican immigrants, calling them rapists and criminals.

"They're bringing drugs," he said. "They're bringing crime. They're rapists."

At the time, Univision had just signed a five-year, $13.5 million deal with the Miss Universe Organization, jointly owned by Trump and NBCUniversal, for U.S. Spanish-language TV rights to the pageants. Still, Univision, the U.S.'s largest Spanish-language broadcaster, wasted little time in ending the deal and severing ties with Trump.

Later, NBC joined Univision in protest by also moving to drop 12 airings of the Miss USA pageant scheduled for July. Ultimately, the pageant aired on ReelzChannel to a much smaller audience than originally anticipated. NBC also announced Trump would not be returning as host of "Celebrity Apprentice."

War of Words Heats Up

At one point, the war between the two sides grew so intense that Univision officials banned employees from engaging in work-related business at any Trump-owned facilities, including Trump's National Doral luxury hotel that sits next door to the company's Miami headquarters.

In formal court proceedings late last year, attorneys for Univision blistered Trump as "too 'thin-skinned'" to assume the mantle of the presidency, CNN Money reported. Lawyers also argued "through his diatribe" he had greatly decreased the value of the pageant's broadcast rights and had made little to no effort to remedy the situation.

Trump countered by insisting the company had conspired and colluded with NBC, owners of Univision rival Telemundo, to besmirch and diminish him.

"There is an obvious, common-sense explanation for NBC's decision to drop Trump that has nothing to do with Univision," lawyers for Univision responded in legal filings, pointing out that several other companies also distanced themselves from Trump after his comments.

Related