Their attorneys argued that engaging in settlement sounds “inappropriate and premature,” at this stage.
Lively and Baldoni’s case has been set for a March 2026 trial. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s controversial legal feud appears to have taken a new turn, with neither of them agreeing to reach a mutual settlement. After nearly two months since Lively filed a legal lawsuit in December accusing her, It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment, the two continue to remain at loggerheads, attacking each other in court and through lawsuits.
Seemingly in no mood for a resolution, the lawyers from both sides filed a joint letter to the Manhattan judge on January 13 presiding over their crossfire federal lawsuits and stated that the parties have no interest in seeing a mediator and negotiating a settlement, as per PEOPLE. This comes on the heels of the court’s order to begin the dispute resolution process in late January.
Their attorneys argued that engaging in settlement sounds “inappropriate and premature” at this stage, hinting that the case must go to trial. Blake Lively’s attorneys, Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, in a statement on February 12, claimed that seeking Baldoni’s phone records would expose the “tactics, people, and methods that have been employed to destroy the actress’s reputation and family over the past years.”
Notably, this marks Lively and Baldoni’s first joint agreement for the “agree to disagree” letter in their growing legal feud. Previously, their legal teams appeared in a pre-trial conference to discuss the actress’ prospects and requested a gag order when US District Judge Lewis Dilip Liman cautioned them against litigating through the press.
Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Legal Dispute
The legal disputes stemmed from Blake Lively’s December 2024 lawsuit that accused director-actor Justin Baldoni of misconduct and sexual harassment, further alleging that Baldoni and his associates carried out a smear campaign to destroy her reputation. In retaliation, Baldoni countersued Lively for a $400 million lawsuit, also naming her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, and their team. He levelled claims of extortion and defamation, among other allegations.
His legal team also announced plans to launch a website with all the correspondence and evidential videos that could squash Lively’s claims, while the actress’s attorneys responded with a gag request to prevent him from publicising evidence, which included leaked videos from the film’s sets.
A trial date has been set for March 9, 2026. For those unaware, Blake Lively featured in Justin Baldoni’s directed It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel of the same name. The film was released in August last year, making impressive box office collections. Apart from Lively and Baldoni, the film also features Brandon Sklenar in a prominent role.
