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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni will have to wait a little longer before facing each other in court. The civil trial stemming from Lively's allegations against her It Ends With Us director and co-star has been officially moved from March 9, 2026, to May 18, 2026, following a ruling from Judge Lewis J. Liman in the Southern District of New York. During a post-discovery hearing, the judge explained that his schedule now includes two criminal trials, noting that "as important as this case is ... criminal trials take precedent."
The next hearing in the case is set for January 22, when the court will hear oral arguments on summary judgment.
Lively, 38, filed her lawsuit in late 2024, accusing Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment and retaliation connected to their work on the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel. The complaint describes alleged conduct on set that she says caused "severe emotional distress." Her suit seeks more than $160 million in damages.
Baldoni has firmly rejected the accusations.
Through his legal team, he called the claims "completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious." His attorney, Bryan Freedman, previously said Baldoni "wants to be vindicated" and is waiting for the chance to "tell the truth" in court. Baldoni had also filed a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of attempting to damage his reputation, but that filing was dismissed after he missed a deadline to amend it.
Since then, Baldoni's legal team has asked the court to dismiss Lively's case entirely, arguing she "cannot prove any actionable sexual harassment" and claiming that "no reasonable jury" would rule against him. Lively's lawyers responded in their own filing, accusing Baldoni and his co-defendants — including Jamey Heath and Steve Sarowitz — of trying to "deny Blake Lively her day in court" by attempting to shut down her harassment and retaliation claims before trial.
The filing also alleges that concerns raised during production were not properly investigated and that efforts were made to recast Lively, a longtime industry veteran and mother of four, as a disruptive presence on set. Her team argues that this narrative "is not a defense to harassment, retaliation, defamation, or any claim Lively has advanced."
With the trial now delayed two months, both sides are preparing for what is expected to be a closely watched legal showdown when the case finally reaches court in May 2026.
