A judge has scheduled a trial date for Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's lawsuits.
Lively, 37, has filed two lawsuits against It Ends with Us director and actor Baldoni, 41, claiming she was the victim of a campaign of 'social manipulation' and that Baldoni allegedly engaged in inappropriate behaviour on set of the film.
Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios, among others, have countersued with a £326 million lawsuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and others for damages, including defamation and lost future income.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's lawsuits explained
Lively filed her first lawsuit against Baldoni, producer Jamey Heath, Baldoni's publicist Jennifer Abel, and others in December 2024, claiming he sexually harassed her on set and then issued a smear campaign after she spoke up.
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Earlier this month, she filed a second lawsuit alleging Baldoni engaged in inappropriate behaviour, which included a scene where their characters performed a slow dance.
Footage of the scene has since been made available to the public, which can be viewed above.
The It Ends with Us director and actor has countersued Lively and her husband Reynolds for £326 million.
Baldoni has accused Lively and her husband of hijacking the production and promotion of the film.
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It has also been claimed that Lively made false allegations of sexual and other harassment against Baldoni, dubbed as a 'smear campaign'.
When will Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit go to trial?
Judge Lewis J. Liman has said the trial will take place on 9 March, 2026, as reported by People.
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A set pre-trial hearing regarding Lively's prospective request for a gag order has been brought forward, scheduled for 3 February.
Will Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s trial be on TV?
LA attorney Gregory Doll, who is not involved in the case, predicts that the trial will not be televised.
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"By filing in federal court, they foreclosed the possibility that there will be any cameras in the proceedings," the partner at Doll Amir & Eley, told People.
As we await the start of the trial, the legal battle between the pair seems to be getting more intense by the week, with alleged text messages having been recently leaked.
Text messages Justin Baldoni says prove he's been defamed
In the lawsuit, which has been seen by LADbible, Baldoni and his team has provided nine alleged text messages he claims prove that he has been defamed by his co-star.
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"How can we say somehow that we are not doing any of this - it looks like we are trying to take her down," Baldoni allegedly sent to his team as stories of harassment started to surface.
"Ok please monitor," he added.
"Things I'm more worried about is that we are planting these stories which is not true obviously."
Also, Lively was said to have messaged him on 2 June, 2023: "I'm just pumping in my trailer if you wanna work out our lines."
Baldoni replied: "Copy, eating with crew and will head that way."
In another exchange, the director text her: "Just hired intimacy coordinator who I LOVE. Will set you up to meet/FT with her next week for intro (thumbs up)."
Lively responded: "I feel good. I can meet her when we start :) thank you though."
This alleged exchange was included to counter claims from Lively that Baldoni would 'improvise' intimacy on set.
Meanwhile, Lively's lawyers called Baldoni’s lawsuit 'another chapter in the abuser playbook'.
"This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim," they said.
Topics: Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Justin Baldoni, Celebrity
Anish Vij