Baldoni legal battle still unresolved amid Lively mediation breakdown

Justin Baldoni’s attorney has confirmed that no settlement was reached following a full day of court-ordered mediation with Blake Lively, signaling that their legal battle is likely headed to trial.

The It Ends with Us costars spent six hours in mandated mediation on Wednesday, Feb. 11, appearing before Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave in New York federal court as part of Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni. The session concluded without an agreement, a source confirms.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman said a deal had not been reached, according to Variety. 

When asked whether he believed the case would proceed to trial, Freedman responded, “I do. We’re looking forward to it.”

“The case will move forward,” he added in video shared from outside the courthouse, while acknowledging that “there’s always a chance” of a future settlement. “We’ll see.”

Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 42, exited the courthouse separately and declined to comment as they passed members of the media.

Settlement discussions are expected to resume at a later, unannounced date. Representatives for both actors have been contacted for comment.

Lively first filed her sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni, alleging misconduct on the set of the 2024 Colleen Hoover adaptation, which he directed and starred in. Baldoni has denied the allegations.

His counterclaims against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which included allegations of extortion and defamation, were dismissed by Judge Lewis J. Liman in June 2025. Lively is seeking more than $160 million in damages.

In November 2025, previously sealed court documents were made public, revealing that Lively had listed more than 100 potential witnesses, including Emily Blunt, Gigi Hadid, and Hugh Jackman. 

The filings also included alleged emails, text messages, and audio exchanges involving Lively, Reynolds, 49, and high-profile friends such as Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Taylor Swift.

During a hearing last month, Baldoni’s legal team argued for dismissal, characterizing the dispute as a creative disagreement rather than misconduct. 

Lively’s attorneys countered that Baldoni’s behavior on set was consistently inappropriate.