Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni appear in court together for first time in legal showdown | Ents & Arts News

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have attended court together for the first time since their acrimonious It Ends With Us legal battle began more than a year ago.

The pair co-starred in the romantic drama, which Baldoni also directed, but promoted the film separately after its release in August 2024.

In December that year, Lively filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and accusing the filmmaker of co-ordinating a smear campaign against her.

On Wednesday, the pair and their legal teams attended the US District Court in Manhattan, New York, to see if the case could be settled without going to trial.

Mandatory settlement talks are generally required as part of civil proceedings, but are not open to the public or media.

Talks between the stars’ lawyers went on for more than six hours before they were pictured leaving the federal courthouse separately.

Baldoni’s wife, Emily, also attended the hearing. His attorney Bryan Freedman said afterwards that the talks did not result in a settlement.

The stars spent the majority of the day in separate courtrooms, Sky News’ US partner NBC reported, citing a source familiar with the proceedings. Magistrate Judge Sarah L Cave went back and forth between both legal teams, the source said.

Will the case go to trial?

Freedman told reporters outside the courtroom that the teams would return to court on Thursday for a “different matter on the docket”, but did not say whether Baldoni and Lively would be present.

He did not rule out a possible settlement in the future, saying that “there’s always a chance” and that he remains “very hopeful” about how the case will proceed.

If no settlement is reached, a trial is due to begin in May.

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The case has reverberated through Hollywood, revealing private texts among A-listers – including singer Taylor Swift – and raising questions about the power, influence and gender dynamics in the industry.

It began with Lively suing Baldoni and his hired crisis communications expert, alleging harassment and a co-ordinated campaign to attack her reputation after she complained about his treatment of her on the movie set.

Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios production company countersued Lively and her husband, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion. His case was dismissed by a judge in June last year.

A lawyer representing Baldoni, the studio and its representatives described Lively’s claims as “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious”.