Blake Lively DEMANDS Justin Baldoni’s phone records in smear campaign legal battle; attorneys say ‘settlement sounds inappropriate’

The high-profile defamation lawsuit between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has taken a new turn, with neither party willing to settle the dispute. After nearly two months of back-and-forth legal battles, the Manhattan judge presiding over the case was informed that the parties had no interest in pursuing mediation or a settlement.

Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni have reached inappropriate, premature

According to court documents filed by their attorneys on January 13, Blake Lively’s team, Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, argued that engaging in settlement discussions would be “inappropriate and premature” at this stage. This comes after the court ordered them to begin the dispute-resolution process in late January.

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The feud between Lively and Baldoni began in December 2024, when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and misconduct. She also alleged that Baldoni and his associates had carried out a smear campaign to destroy her reputation and that of her family. In response, Baldoni counter-sued Lively for $400 million, naming her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their team as defendants.

Proofs & evidence

Baldoni’s team plans to launch a website with evidence and videos that they claim will discredit Lively’s allegations. However, Lively’s attorneys have requested a gag order to prevent Baldoni from publicizing the evidence, including leaked videos from the film’s sets.

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This marks the first joint agreement between Lively and Baldoni’s teams to “agree to disagree” and reject settlement talks. In a statement on February 12, Lively’s attorneys claimed that seeking Baldoni’s phone records would expose the “tactics, people, and methods that have been employed to destroy the actress’s reputation and family over the past years.”

A trial date has been set for March 9, 2026, and will be presided over by US District Judge Lewis Dilip Liman. The dispute has been ongoing since Lively’s original lawsuit was filed in December 2024, and has garnered significant media attention.

It’s worth noting that Lively and Baldoni’s feud has been playing out in public, with both parties releasing statements and engaging in legal manoeuvres through the press. Their attorneys appeared in a pre-trial conference to discuss the actress’ prospects and requested a gag order when Judge Liman cautioned them against litigating through the press.

Baldoni’s counter-suit also names Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and their team, alleging extortion and defamation. The lawsuit stems from the film “It Ends With Us”, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, in which Lively starred alongside Baldoni.

Also Read: It Ends With Us Feud: Blake Lively subpoena mobile service providers; challenges Justin Baldoni – Deets inside