The former co-stars met behind closed doors in Manhattan Federal Court as tensions appeared high, and attorneys didn’t share much
Actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni appeared in federal court in New York on Tuesday for a settlement conference in Lively’s lawsuit against her former co-star. Baldoni was accompanied by his wife, Emily, while Lively was sans husband Ryan Reynolds.
The two actors briefly acknowledged members of the media as they walked outside the Southern District of New York courthouse but declined to answer questions. When asked what he hoped would come from the proceedings, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, quipped, “We hope to win.” At the end of the day, Freedman was coy about whether or not the conference would continue throughout the remainder of the week.
Credit: Curtis Means
The hearing, however, is not expected to produce an immediate ruling. It’s a closed-door settlement conference intended to explore whether the parties can resolve the “tabloid” lawsuit that began in December 2024. According to court filings, attorneys for both sides are scheduled to deliver short presentations detailing the key issues they believe the opposing party should weigh. The magistrate judge, U.S. Judge Sarah Cave, is expected to meet privately with each side afterward.
Los Angeles briefly remained in the hallway outside of the courtroom, just in time to see both co-defendant Jamey Health’s wife, Natasha, and Emily Baldoni step out around lunchtime. Around 20 minutes later, Baldoni popped his head outside of the courtroom asking the court officer to summon his wife back in, should he see her. He wore a cream sweater, and his expression looked serious.
Lively-Baldoni Settlement Conference Update: Since it’s a closed conference (and it’s freezing outside), I did some brief lingering in the hallway outside of the courtrooms. Here is what I observed, via thread:
-Baldoni and Lively aren’t even in the same room: Lively’s team is… https://t.co/RhafngSnPh
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) February 11, 2026
We also asked one of Baldoni’s attorneys, Jonathan Bach, if he knew how long the proceedings would last, to which we received a “shrug.”
The conflict stems from a complaint Lively filed in December 2024 with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging sexual harassment on the set of the film “It Ends with Us.” She accused Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of engaging in what she described as a “smear campaign” aimed at damaging her reputation. In response, Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, alleging defamation and extortion and asserting that Lively had undermined his control over the film and harmed his professional standing. A judge dismissed Baldoni’s suit last June.
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As of now, the two are expected to go to trial in May of 2026.