Legal Teams for Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Prepare for Upcoming Trial

for Blake Lively

and Justin Baldoni are gathering in a New York court to address details ahead of their trial. The meeting, scheduled for April 29, 2026, will cover the trial's length, witness sequestration, and allowable experts and evidence. Jury selection is set to start on May 18, 2026, with opening statements possibly occurring the same day.

Potential jurors will receive a questionnaire asking about their views on sexual harassment claims. One question inquires whether the nature of Lively's allegations, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, would affect their ability to consider evidence impartially.

Jurors will also be asked if they know celebrities such as Taylor Swift or Ryan Reynolds, or if they have seen the movie 'It Ends With Us' or read the related book.

' She also accused Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of a social manipulation campaign against her reputation. Both parties later filed lawsuits in New York, with Lively seeking $500 million in damages for claims including unlawful retaliatory astroturfing.

Baldoni's attorney denied these allegations. Baldoni then filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, alleging extortion and defamation. He claimed Lively had taken control of the film and damaged his reputation.

lawyers denied the countersuit allegations and described it as part of an abuser playbook. A federal judge in New York dismissed Baldoni's suit in June 2025, with the dismissal finalized in October 2025 after no amended complaint was filed. Earlier in April 2026, the judge dismissed much of Lively's case, including on-set sexual harassment claims.

Lively can still pursue retaliation claims against Baldoni's public relations team for alleged reputational harm. In February 2026, the actors attended a six-hour court-ordered settlement conference in New York, but no agreement was reached.