Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni think settlement talks would be ‘premature’ at this stage
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni seek to bypass mediation despite court orders, as their lawsuits expand to include additional defendants.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached a singular agreement after two months of legal sparring: they will continue to disagree, with a trial date set for March 2026.
On Thursday, Lively and Baldoni's lawyers submitted a joint letter to the Manhattan judge overseeing their duelling lawsuits. Her lawyers allegedly planned to “imminently” expand their list of defendants, though specific names have not been disclosed.
Lively’s initial lawsuit, filed on 31 December has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the film’s set and making the “workplace hostile.” The litigation alleges of launching a retaliatory “smear campaign” against her.
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Two weeks later, Baldoni countersued, seeking $400 million in defamation damages. His suit named her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her publicists as co-defendants. It comes soon after Baldoni filed defamation charges against The New York Times about its report of Lively's sexual harassment accusations.
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Despite a court order in late January directing both parties to engage in mediation as part of the dispute-resolution process, the legal teams have made it clear that a settlement at this stage would be “inappropriate” and “premature.”
The letter formally requested US District Judge Lewis Liman to release them from the mediation requirement. Under court rules, employment-related lawsuits typically mandate mediation unless a judge grants an exemption.
The letter cited by Business Insider claims both sides had already determined “that settlement discussions would be premature” since late January. And after further discussions last Friday, they remained in agreement that mediation was “inappropriate.”
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The lack of resolution between opposing parties leads them to focus on motion preparation with dismissal applications according to the documented letter.