Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's Lawsuit Negotiations Conclude Without Settlement

Sat Feb 14 2026 01:10:31 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni appeared in Manhattan federal court for mandatory settlement talks regarding a sexual harassment lawsuit stemming from the filming of 'It Ends With Us,' but no agreement was reached, setting the stage for a May trial.

Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni were in court on Wednesday for a six-hour negotiation regarding Lively's lawsuit alleging sexual harassment on the set of the film 'It Ends With Us.' Despite the extended talks, no settlement was reached, and the case is set for trial in May. The lawsuit has drawn attention to Hollywood's gender dynamics, implicating other celebrities in the ongoing discussion of power and influence in the entertainment industry.

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni arrived at a New York courthouse on Wednesday to engage in settlement discussions regarding Lively's lawsuit alleging sexual harassment during the filming of the 2024 romantic drama It Ends With Us. The negotiations lasted six hours before both parties left without a settlement agreement.

Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman confirmed that the discussions did not yield a resolution. Settlement talks are a common procedural step before a trial in civil cases, typically held privately.

The ongoing litigation between Lively and Baldoni has reverberated through the entertainment industry, drawing parallels to wider conversations about power dynamics and gender treatment in Hollywood. In her lawsuit, Lively claims she faced harassment and a coordinated effort to damage her reputation after raising concerns about Baldoni's conduct on set.

In response, Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios countersued Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation and extortion. However, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed this countersuit last June.

Upcoming trial proceedings, scheduled for May 18, are expected to be high-profile, with legal documents suggesting that singer Taylor Swift, model Gigi Hadid, and other prominent figures like Emily Blunt and Hugh Jackman may have relevant testimonies regarding the case.