Judge rules against Blake Lively as trial with Justin Baldoni nears
A major turn has taken place in the legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. A federal judge has sided with Justin, rejecting Blake's claims of emotional distress in the ongoing case. According to Deadline, this ruling—potentially pivotal for the direction of the case—comes shortly before the trial is scheduled to start in March 2026.
The lawsuit, focused on the production of the film "It Ends with Us", involves multiple allegations made by Blake Lively against Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios. Although Blake initially included emotional distress claims in the case, she later attempted to withdraw them.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. On Tuesday, however, Judge Lewis J Liman of the Southern District of New York denied her request, stating that the claims could not be dismissed without prejudice unless both parties consented to the dismissal terms.
In a brief ruling, Judge Liman stated, "The motion to compel... is denied based on Plaintiff's representation that the relevant claims will be withdrawn."
Deadline reported that he also clarified that the request to dismiss the claims was denied "without prejudice to renewal." This means that if Blake's legal team wants to move forward with dropping the claims, they must file a formal motion to do so.
Blake's legal team also alleged that Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios engaged in retaliatory behavior, warning that such actions could lead to serious legal and financial consequences under California law.
"As things stand, both sides are essentially back where they started—before the Baldoni-Wayfarer parties hastily filed this completely unnecessary motion to compel, seemingly in pursuit of more media attention," they stated, according to Deadline.
The dispute between Blake and Justin first gained public attention in December 2024, when Blake filed an official complaint accusing Justin and his associates of sexual harassment and retaliation.
After Blake filed her complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, Justin responded by filing a defamation and extortion lawsuit against her, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their PR team.
As the legal battle escalated, the situation became increasingly complicated, with several lawsuits emerging from both parties.
Blake's legal claims have included allegations of mistreatment during the production of "It Ends with Us", a film promoted as tackling important issues related to domestic violence.
Although the film performed strongly at the box office, reports soon emerged highlighting behind-the-scenes tensions during its press tour and premiere.
Despite the continuing controversy, insiders close to the case have indicated that a settlement is improbable.
Both Blake and Justin remain determined to resolve the dispute in court. The case has since expanded to include major names, such as Blake's well-known husband, along with industry giants like Taylor Swift, Disney, and Marvel, who have all become entangled in the legal proceedings.
With the trial set to start on March 9, 2026, tensions are expected to rise as the courtroom battle gains momentum in the months ahead.
The trial is set to be held in New York City, in the same courthouse currently handling the high-profile sex-trafficking case involving Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
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