Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni left a Manhattan federal courthouse Wednesday without a settlement in Lively’s lawsuit accusing her It Ends With Us co-star and director of sexual harassment and retaliation, keeping the case on track for a May trial date. The closed-door session, overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave, ran about six hours and ended with no public comment from either star.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, later confirmed that the talks did not produce an agreement and said he expects the dispute to proceed to trial. Lively alleges that Baldoni and associates mounted a retaliatory campaign after she raised concerns about conduct on set; Baldoni has denied wrongdoing.
The litigation has already generated a parallel fight over how much of the case plays out in public. In earlier proceedings, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman warned counsel about out-of-court statements and signaled he could sanction tactics aimed at amplifying scandal through the court docket.
The parties have also sparred over what evidence and witnesses belong in the record, a dynamic that has kept the dispute in the headlines and raised stakes beyond damages. Reuters reported last month that Baldoni’s legal team asked the judge to dismiss the suit, calling the allegations “petty slights,” while Lively’s lawyer argued the conduct described in filings went past professional limits and should be heard by a jury.
Legal observers say settlement conferences like Wednesday’s are standard in federal cases and are designed to test whether the sides can narrow risk and cost before trial. Entertainment lawyer Gregory Doll, who is not involved in the case, told People that statements made in such conferences are confidential and cannot be used at trial if talks fail.
