A New York court has scheduled a trial for March 2026, amid ongoing tensions between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director from the film “It Ends With Us.” An initial court conference, previously set for mid-February, has now been moved to next week as the legal conflict intensifies. This comes as Lively has also filed a request in Texas for a deposition of an individual she claims played a significant role in creating negative public sentiment against her during the film’s promotional phase.
Federal Judge Lewis J. Liman has instructed both parties to prepare for the trial, confirmed for March 9, 2026. During the forthcoming conference, lawyers are expected to address issues such as pretrial publicity and the conduct of attorneys involved. Lively’s attorneys have accused Baldoni’s legal representation of attempting to influence potential jurors in a manner detrimental to her reputation through the establishment of a website releasing selected communications between the two actors.
Lively’s legal team argues that attorney Bryan Freedman, who represents Baldoni, is conducting an external campaign aimed at tarnishing Lively’s image and swaying the jury pool. They have voiced serious concerns over Freedman’s alleged actions, stating that the “endless stream of defamatory and extrajudicial media statements must end.” Meanwhile, Freedman responded to these claims with a statement, suggesting that Lively fears the truth and has attempted to stifle their defense, insisting that they aim to present evidence that directly contradicts her allegations.
In a letter to the judge, Baldoni’s attorney, Kevin Fritz, accused Lively of a media campaign that has cast Baldoni and other defendants into public disgrace, attributing significant financial damages—potentially reaching hundreds of millions—directly to Lively’s actions.
In her separate filing in Hays County, Texas, which may lead to a different lawsuit, Lively is seeking to depose Jed Wallace, a crisis management expert she believes is responsible for the alleged social media manipulation that negatively affected her reputation. According to the documents, Wallace’s firm was brought in by Baldoni’s PR team to generate and manipulate negative online content about Lively.
While Wallace is named in Lively’s federal lawsuit, he is not listed as a defendant. Freedman, who is noted as Wallace’s counsel, did not provide comments regarding this matter. In December, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his production company, and others for sexual harassment and damage to her reputation, seeking unspecified damages. In response, Baldoni filed his own lawsuit earlier this month, accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion, with a claim for damages exceeding $400 million.
The judge indicated that there may be a consolidation of the lawsuits for the trial. “It Ends With Us,” which is based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, tackles themes of romance and domestic violence. The film achieved remarkable success upon its release in August, grossing $50 million, although its launch was marred by speculation regarding the conflict between Lively and Baldoni.
Blake Lively first gained widespread attention from the 2005 movie “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and solidified her fame in the television series “Gossip Girl,” which aired from 2007 to 2012. She has also appeared in notable films such as “The Town” and “The Shallows.” Conversely, Baldoni is known for his role in the television comedy “Jane the Virgin,” his direction of the 2019 film “Five Feet Apart,” and authoring “Man Enough,” a book challenging traditional masculinity.
