Overview
- Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni spent roughly six hours in closed-door settlement talks on February 11 at Manhattan federal court, then left separately without commenting.
- Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman said the discussion was “unsuccessful” and indicated a trial remains likely, though he allowed there is still a chance of a deal.
- The civil trial is scheduled to begin May 18 in the Southern District of New York, with pretrial issues still pending, including Baldoni’s bid to dismiss Lively’s suit.
- Lively alleges on-set sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign tied to It Ends With Us and seeks more than $160 million in damages; Baldoni denies the claims.
- Judge Lewis J. Liman previously dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit, and unsealed filings have identified high-profile figures such as Taylor Swift and Gigi Hadid as potential witnesses.