Blake Lively Vs. Justin Baldoni: Judge Threatens Moving Up March 2026 Trial If Lawyers Can’t Stop Matter Being “Litigated In The Press”

deadline.com:

(Updated with statement from Lively/Reynolds lawyers) The first court hearing in the wide-ranging legal and media war between It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni on Monday saw a federal judge threatening to move up the March 2026 trial-start date if the high-profile matter continues to be “litigated in the press.” Despite the protests of Baldoni’s media-active lead lawyer Bryan Freedman that his client had “suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in damages” from Lively’s recent-ish claims of sexual harassment on the set of the film based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel and an online “astroturfing” smear campaign leading up to the Sony movie’s August 2024 release, Judge Lewis J.

Liman imposed an Empire State rule on both sides to mind their public p’s and q’s. Essentially, neither side in the multi-prong matter is to say anything to the press that could taint a potential jury.

How long that holds, knowing some of the personalities involved, is anyone’s guess. Both sets of lawyers were circumspect outside following this morning’s hearing.

Quipping he “couldn’t be more pleased with how the case was handled today,” Freedman reiterated that he wants case to move ahead with haste.