Justin Baldoni’s lawyer has confirmed that efforts to resolve the actor-director’s legal dispute with Blake Lively outside the courtroom have so far been insufficient, leaving the former co-stars headed for a trial later this year.
Speaking outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in Manhattan on Wednesday, Feb. 11, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said a court-ordered settlement discussion held earlier that day was “unfruitful.”
While he acknowledged that, in theory, a deal could still be reached, he added that he did not know if the two sides would return to the negotiating table before the case goes to trial.
When asked about the likelihood of facing Lively in court, Freedman made his intention clear and said he was “looking forward to it.”
The comments came after Baldoni, 42, and Lively, 38, attended a private conference with Judge Sarah L. Cave in New York to explore whether they could reach a settlement without proceeding to a full civil trial.
Baldoni arrived at the courthouse with his wife, Emily, while Lively entered alone.
Settlement talks were moderated by Judge Lewis J. Liman, who suggested in December 2025 that the parties try to resolve the matter privately, especially since the trial date had already been pushed back.
The legal battle dates back to December 2024, when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and planning a smear campaign against her after the production of Finish with us.
The film, which Baldoni directed and starred in alongside Lively, was released in August 2024 and was based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover.
Baldoni has denied all of Lively’s allegations. He later filed counterclaims against Lively and The New York Timeswhich reported its claims, but those actions were dismissed in June 2025.
Lively’s civil case was originally scheduled to go to trial in March, but was delayed until May 18 due to Judge Liman’s existing workload.
With settlement talks failing to reach an agreement, both sides appear to be preparing for a court showdown in May, unless a last-minute deal changes the course of the long-running case.
