Lawyers for Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were contacted about a last-minute settlement attempt before trial, scheduled for May 18th.
The Daily Mail reports that the lawyers were instructed to contact U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave on Monday following a Thursday ruling denying most of the 13 claims against Lively’s Seraph of the End director.
The lawyers are scheduled to speak by phone with the judge in a separate session to discuss “their client’s latest settlement opinion” ahead of the scheduled trial, the newspaper said. The general public will not have access to the telephone call, which will be held Monday at 3 p.m. ET for Lively’s attorneys and 4 p.m. ET for Baldoni and Wayfarer Productions’ attorneys.
Representatives for Lively and Baldoni did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment Friday.
The development comes a day after Judge Louis Lehman dismissed all but three of the “Gossip Girl” alum’s claims against Bradoni, leaving only breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting retaliation to continue the lengthy legal battle.
Lawyers for Mr. Lively and Mr. Baldoni spoke out in the wake of the decision, with Mr. Baroni’s lead attorney Brian Friedman telling Page Six on Friday that his team “has worked many, many, many days and nights defending this case” and that it has done so “through transparency in releasing the actual, truthful text messages and by welcoming and encouraging the release of all documents that show the truth.”
Friedman said the defendants were “not afraid of the truth” and that none of the defendants, including Baldoni, “had any role in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively.”
“Despite our client being accused in DARVO for defending these claims, and despite our client being referred to in writing as a predator, what I said on behalf of my client on day one and every day since is true,” Friedman continued in part.
He also said he was “pleased that the court’s decision confirms what the defense team believed all along.”
In a separate statement to Page Six on Thursday, Mr. Baldoni’s lawyers said they were “thankful to the court for carefully considering the facts, the law, and the extensive evidence provided,” and that they “look forward to defending the remaining claims in court.”
Lawyers for Lively’s team also spoke out Thursday, saying that for the “A Simple Favor” actress, the case “has been, and continues to be, focused on the devastating retaliation and extraordinary steps the defendants took to tarnish the reputation of Blake Lively, who stood up for safety on set, and that is what the case that will go to trial will focus on.”
Sigrid McCauley added that for the actress, “the greatest measure of justice is that the people and plans behind these coordinated digital attacks are exposed and are already being held accountable by other women who have been targeted.”
“She looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this egregious online retaliation to make it easier to discover and fight,” the statement concluded. “The sexual harassment case is stalled not because the defendants did nothing wrong, but because the courts have determined that Blake Lively is an independent contractor rather than an employee.”
Following rumors of a tense relationship during a promotional event for It Ends With Us, Lively sued Baldoni for on-set sexual harassment and retaliation in December 2024, and the drama film’s director later that month.
Ms. Lively claimed that the Wayfarer Studios co-founder owed her at least $161 million in damages for what she called a smear campaign.
Baldoni has vehemently denied Lively’s claims and responded with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. However, Baldoni’s lawsuit was dismissed by a judge on June 25.
Lively and Baldoni previously faced off in a Manhattan courtroom on February 11, but Friedman called it “unsuccessful” in comments to Deadline at the time.
A long list of A-list stars, including Reynolds’ ex-wife Scarlett Johansson, Lively’s ex-friend Taylor Swift and Johnny Depp, were drawn into the drama in unsealed documents earlier this year.
A brand expert revealed to Page Six on Friday that Lively’s dramatic court loss likely means a “rocky road” for her career.
“There’s a real risk that she may start to feel pushed out of the industry and have a hard time getting major roles or brand deals going forward,” Kayley Cornelius said in part.
“The impact of cancel culture and increased scrutiny has reduced the willingness to take risks on talent that may be seen as potentially controversial or commercially uncertain,” she added, noting that “it’s entirely possible that Blake will face stiffer competition for future roles as studios potentially favor new talent.”
