Attorneys for Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are set to appear in court this week as their ongoing legal dispute moves closer to trial.
Pretrial meeting set
The legal teams will meet Tuesday with a federal judge in New York to finalize key details, including trial length, witness rules, and what evidence and expert testimony will be allowed.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin May 18, with opening statements expected the same day.
Jury selection focus
Potential jurors will be questioned about their views on sensitive topics, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. They may also be asked whether they are familiar with high-profile figures such as Taylor Swift and Ryan Reynolds, or whether they have seen or read It Ends With Us, the film at the center of the dispute.
Background of the case
The legal battle began in December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment during the filming of It Ends With Us. She also accused Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of orchestrating a campaign to damage her reputation.
Lively later filed a lawsuit in New York seeking $500 million in damages, while Baldoni denied the allegations.
Countersuits and rulings
Baldoni responded with a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist of defamation and extortion. That countersuit was later dismissed by a federal judge.
More recently, the court dismissed several of Lively’s claims, including those related to alleged sexual harassment. However, she is still allowed to pursue certain retaliation claims tied to alleged reputational harm.
Settlement efforts failed
Earlier this year, both sides spent hours in a court-ordered settlement conference in New York, but no agreement was reached, setting the stage for a trial that has been more than a year in the making.
For more on this story, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.