Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni just arrived to court to try and resolve their legal issues ahead of their May trial. Justin, 41, entered the New York City courthouse with his wife, Emily Baldoni, while Blake, 38, showed up solo.
For the hearing, the It Ends With Us co-stars accidentally wore matching outfits. The Gossip Girl actress wore a gray suit, a pink and white button up, and a striped green cardigan. Justin, dressed in a similar color combination, wore a green coat and pink scarf.
The actors are appearing in the courthouse for the first time since their legal battle began. In December 2024, Blake filed a complaint against Justin alleging sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of It Ends With Us. The director denies those allegations, thus launching a years-long legal battle dragging in stars like Taylor Swift and Ryan Reynolds.
© Javier Mateo / BACKGRIDWhy are Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in court?
As part of a court-ordered settlement conference, the It Ends With Us co-stars were required to show up to the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The meeting on Wednesday, February 11 is intended to get the actors to a resolution before their scheduled May 18 trial.
Members of the media are not allowed to attend the settlement conference, which is being led by Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave who will try to get the two parties to start settlement discussions.
If Blake, Justin, and their legal teams do not reach a settlement today, the civil trial for Blake's lawsuit against Justin will start on May 18.
© Javier Mateo / BACKGRIDWhy is Blake Lively suing Justin Baldoni?
The It Ends With Us star kicked off the entire saga after she sued Justin for alleged harassment during filming followed by a targeted smear campaign against her.
After their press tour was dogged with controversies painting Blake in a bad light, the actress filed a suit against Justin to reclaim her voice and help "protect others who may be targeted" for speaking out against misconduct in the workplace.
Blake also claimed in her suit that she took her complaints to the higher-ups at the production company Wayfarer Studios, but swift action was not taken to address the issue.
© Getty ImagesDid Justin Baldoni sue Blake Lively?
Justin refuted the claims made in Blake's lawsuit and hit her with a countersuit denying the allegations, calling her legal action "false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to hurt".
© Getty ImagesHe also filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for libel, claiming that they had falsely reported on Blake's suit and failed to uphold balanced reporting standards.
Justin filed a third suit against Blake, her husband Ryan, publicist Leslie Sloane and her PR firm, alleging that the party had attempted to extort and defame him. Both this suit and his claims against The Times have been dismissed as of June 9.
