Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni fail to reach agreement, trial set for May 2026
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were unable to resolve their legal dispute during a court-ordered settlement conference in New York, with a hearing now scheduled for May 18. Newly uncovered documents and viral exchanges add to this high-profile case.
Actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni failed to reach an agreement during a court-ordered conference in New York this week, paving the way for their legal dispute to go to trial in May.
The closed-door settlement conference was held on Wednesday at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan. Both parties attended the session, marking the first time Lively and Baldoni appeared in court together since the case was filed. However, efforts to settle the matter out of court were unsuccessful. deadline.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed by Lively against Baldoni, in which she accuses him of sexual harassment, retaliatory conduct and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The total damages now sought in the case are US$550 million.
Baldoni’s attorney, Brian Friedman, confirmed that the settlement discussions did not lead to an agreement. Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Friedman said negotiations had “failed,” adding that a settlement was “always a possibility.” He said he is “looking forward” to the trial taking place in May.
The settlement conference was overseen by Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave. Lively attended the hearing alone, while Baldoni was accompanied by his wife, Emily Baldoni.
The legal battle has drawn public attention following U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Lyman’s decision earlier this year to seal several court documents. The material includes internal emails, text messages and voice memos related to the case. These include a message from a Sony executive describing Lively as a “terrorist”.
Other unsealed records include a four-minute voice memo sent by Lively to Baldoni, as well as text exchanges involving Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Taylor Swift. Messages between Lively and Swift have been widely discussed, in which Lively asked for help regarding Baldoni and Swift’s support for the film.
The current proceedings follow Judge Lyman’s June ruling dismissing Baldoni’s US$400 million defamation suit against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds. The court has not yet ruled on whether any of Lively’s claims against Baldoni will be dismissed before trial.
The case is now scheduled to be heard on May 18.
