They arrived in similar shades of green, left through the same courthouse doors, and avoided each other in the hallway. Yet for Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, a Manhattan settlement conference that could have ended their legal war did not deliver peace.
TLDR
A settlement conference in Manhattan ended without a deal in Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni. With talks stalled, both stars are moving closer to a public civil trial that will scrutinize their on-set history.
Inside the Failed Settlement Push
The actors, who once played on-screen lovers in the domestic violence-themed drama “It Ends With Us,” reunited in a very different setting at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in New York City. According to Deadline, lawyers for both sides spent the day behind closed doors with a magistrate judge exploring whether a pretrial agreement could keep this case out of a jury’s hands.
Outside the courtroom, Justin Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman summed up the day with a single word. He reportedly called attempts to reach a deal “unsuccessful,” and suggested that the window for compromise might be closing. Freedman acknowledged that “there is always a chance” for a settlement, but added that he did not “know that we will” resume talks.
As the conference broke up, both Lively and Baldoni exited the building in the late afternoon, each maintaining a careful distance from the other. A trial start date in May sits on the court calendar, and Freedman told reporters he was “looking forward” to presenting his client’s case if negotiations remain stalled.
A representative for Lively did not comment on the status of talks, leaving her legal filings to speak for her. The silence only added to the sense that the battle lines are now firmly drawn.
Observers could not help noticing the mirrored optics. Lively walked into court in an olive green suit, while Baldoni arrived in a trench coat in a nearly identical shade. He was joined by his wife, Emily. Lively attended solo, without husband Ryan Reynolds by her side. For two stars who once sold a love story together, the contrast was sharp.
The Allegations and the Stakes
The Manhattan conference was the latest chapter in a clash that has been building for well over a year. Tension between the “It Ends With Us” co-stars first surfaced during the film’s press run in 2024, when the pair notably appeared at separate events rather than sharing the usual red carpet moments that fuel a romance drama’s marketing campaign.
According to Page Six, Lively filed a detailed complaint in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation connected to their work on the film. She later followed that complaint with a full lawsuit, alleging that her former co-star and director had engaged in what she described as a smear campaign that damaged her reputation and career prospects.
In court papers, Lively claims Baldoni is liable for at least $161 million in damages and lost income. That figure folds in not only her alleged lost earnings, but also the cost of reputational repair in a business where brand image is currency. The lawsuit paints a picture of a star who believes her standing in Hollywood was undermined at a pivotal moment by a colleague who also controlled the set.
Baldoni has denied Lively’s allegations through his legal team and has pushed back aggressively in court. He filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in late 2025, arguing that her claims are legally insufficient and mischaracterize their interactions. That motion has not yet been ruled on, which means his attempt to end the case before a jury hears it is still technically alive.
Until that decision arrives, the May trial date looms over both of them. For Lively, who has spent years cultivating an image that blends Upper East Side polish from “Gossip Girl” with playful, relatable glamour on social media, the case touches directly on questions of workplace safety and power dynamics. For Baldoni, who has publicly explored themes of empathy and masculinity in prior work, the allegations land directly on the persona he has built as both actor and director.
Parallel Lives outside the Courtroom
Part of what makes this legal showdown so charged is the shared project at its center. “It Ends With Us” was positioned as a prestige adaptation of a bestselling novel, a story about the cycles of domestic abuse that promised both awards season potential and serious cultural conversation. Lively and Baldoni were not just co-stars. They were co-architects of an on-screen relationship that asked audiences to confront uncomfortable truths.
Lively brought with her a long-standing fan base that had grown up watching her as Serena van der Woodsen and later as the effortlessly stylish lead of “A Simple Favor.” Off-screen, she has carefully blended family life with Ryan Reynolds, fashion moments, and entrepreneurial projects into a cohesive, controlled narrative. Allegations of harassment, retaliation, and behind-the-scenes hostility cut directly against that carefully curated balance of strength and approachability.
Baldoni came into the project as both star and director, with a reputation shaped by his work on “Jane the Virgin” and his interest in reframing conversations about men and vulnerability. His directing path, including other book-to-film adaptations, has aligned him with a more thoughtful brand of studio fare. The accusations in Lively’s lawsuit challenge the version of leadership he has publicly embraced, which makes the outcome of this case as much about public perception as legal liability.
In the courthouse, however, the images were deliberately stripped down. No stylists, no red carpet, only security lines and fluorescent lighting. The similar color palette of their outfits read almost like a coincidence written into a script neither of them would have chosen, as if the universe had dressed them in the same mood for a day that ended without resolution.
Hollywood Power Players in the Wings
This is not a two-person drama anymore. As the case has progressed, recently unsealed documents have revealed that other major names in entertainment have been pulled into its orbit. According to Page Six, filings reference stars including Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift, and Johnny Depp, among others, in peripheral ways. Their precise involvement varies, but their inclusion on the docket underscores how quickly a workplace dispute on a single film can ripple through an industry network.
For a generation of viewers and fans, seeing those names in legal documents connected to Lively and Baldoni is a reminder of how interlinked Hollywood careers can be. Public statements of support, text messages, and behind-the-scenes conversations can all surface once a case enters discovery. Even when those figures are not accused of wrongdoing, the mere fact that their communications or contracts might be examined places them inside the story’s frame.
The unresolved motion to dismiss, the failed settlement discussion, and the specter of a May trial date all carry consequences far beyond one film’s press tour. If the case moves forward to a jury, witnesses may be called, emails and messages may be read aloud, and two carefully managed public images will be tested in a forum that neither controls.
There is also the question of legacy. “It Ends With Us” was meant to be remembered as a difficult but cathartic love story about breaking cycles of abuse. Instead, it now sits at the center of a real-life confrontation about alleged misconduct and the limits of accountability in a business that often prefers quiet settlements to public trials. Whether the film can ever be viewed separately from this lawsuit may depend on what happens next in that Manhattan courtroom.
Join the Discussion
How do you think this very public legal battle may shape the way fans view “It Ends With Us” and future collaborations between high-profile co-stars?
