Trial date set in Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s legal battle

[KENNEDY FELTON]

After weeks of legal back and forth, a trial date is set in the high-profile dispute between actors Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.

There have been many updates since Lively first filed her complaint last December, so let’s break down all of the key developments.

Starting with August 2024. During the promotional tour for their film “It Ends With Us,” fans noticed a lack of interaction between Lively and Baldoni, sparking rumors of tension.

Fast forward to December 20, 2024 – Lively officially files a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleging that he orchestrated a smear campaign against her. Shortly after, Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency, and several people expressed public support for Lively.

Six days later on December 26, Baldoni files a 250-million dollar libel lawsuit against The New York Times. He alleges the outlet cherry-picked information from Lively’s complaint while ignoring evidence that could contradict her claims.

On December 31, Lively escalates her legal actions by filing a federal lawsuit against Baldoni, his production company, and his PR team – accusing them of retaliation and a concerted effort to harm her reputation.

On January 16, Baldoni countersued not only Lively but her husband – actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. Baldoni claims Reynolds supported and participated in Lively’s efforts to work against him. Although Reynolds was not connected to the film, he attended a meeting during filming to address Lively’s concerns about Baldoni’s behavior.

On January 21, Baldoni’s legal team released 10 minutes of unedited, raw footage from the set of “It Ends With Us” in an attempt to refute Lively’s claims. The footage—shared by outlets like TMZ—shows Lively and Baldoni interacting outside of their characters. At several points, Baldoni attempts to lean in for a kiss when Lively repeatedly suggests they chat during the scene to make it more romantic. The two even discuss their respective partners. However, the video also shows moments Lively referenced in her complaint as inappropriate.

“I’m probably getting spray tan on you.” “It smells good.” “Well it’s not that. It’s my body makeup.”

She mentions an occasion where he commented on her smell during a slow dance scene – which she says was out of character and not based on any dialogue in the script.

Then on January 27, The Daily Mail obtained a voice memo Baldoni sent to Lively at 2 in the morning, apologizing for his behavior during a reported argument about the rooftop scene in “It Ends With Us.”

“I will admit and apologize uh when I fail um I am far from perfect I’m a very flawed man as my wife will attest.”

And finally, a court date has been set in the case for March 9, 2026, to discuss the various lawsuits between the parties.

This legal saga continues to unfold. According to the Associated Press, the judge says he will likely combine the lawsuits for the trial.