The Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni dumpster fire seems to have cooled off for a bit. There’s still a lot happening but behind-the-scenes in the runup to the trial
Blake Lively is owning her narrative.
Blake Lively, the Another Simple Favor star and Gossip Girl alum, recently made her first public acknowledgment of her ongoing dispute with former collaborator Justin Baldoni during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers. In a statement to PEOPLE, her legal counsel confirmed that Blake will continue to stand up for herself—potentially even in court. “Yes. The ultimate moment for a plaintiff’s story to be told is at trial. We expect that to be the case here. We certainly anticipate her being a witness at the trial. Of course, she’s going to testify,” said her attorney, Mike Gottlieb.
Blake Lively won’t be the only one taking the stand in the upcoming trial. Her attorney, Mike Gottlieb, clarified, “There are individuals who were either witnesses to or directly experienced misconduct relevant to Ms. Lively’s claims. We expect their testimony, particularly regarding events on set, to come out through live witness testimony.” However, it remains uncertain whether Blake’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, will also testify.
Mike also addressed the growing public speculation surrounding the case, suggesting that much of the focus has been diverted away from the core issues. “We believe there have been a lot of distractions designed to deflect attention from the retaliation campaign launched against her. We expect and hope that during discovery, we’ll have the chance to focus on what we believe is the heart of the case—that this retaliation campaign was launched against Ms. Lively for raising concerns about sexual harassment.”
Blake and Justin had previously worked together on the ill-fated 2024 film It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. After the film’s release, Blake filed a lawsuit against Justin and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, accusing him of sexual harassment and claiming he initiated a preemptive smear campaign. Justin has denied the allegations, countersuing Blake, her husband Ryan, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and her agency Vision PR, Inc. for defamation, civil extortion, and other charges. The trial is set to begin in March 2026.
