Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni advised by judge to settle before trial

Will Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle their case before heading to trial next year? A federal judge certainly thinks they should.

People magazine reported on Wednesday, December 10, that Judge Lewis J. Liman advised the It Ends With Us costars to consider settling their case outside the courtroom, pushing both sides to rethink their approach. The guidance arrived the same day their trial was officially pushed back due to the judge’s packed criminal docket.

Judge Liman instructed Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 41, to connect with a magistrate judge to explore a potential settlement. Their civil trial — originally set for March 9, 2026 — is now expected to begin on May 18, 2026 as “criminal trials take precedent” for the judge. The next hearing is scheduled for January 22 as the case continues through discovery.

Legal expert Gregory Doll told People that the judge’s move isn’t surprising. “But many settlements occur right before trial. There is something about the looming trial date, and reality of what is about to happen, that makes parties reconsider their previous views about settlement,” Doll said. “There is so much risk in going to trial, and the magistrate judge is going to be hammering that message home at the settlement conference. You see it again and again as a lawyer: lots of deals get made right before or even during trial.”

He added that the case could be an exception, noting, “This is a deeply personal dispute and both sides have the resources to fight.”

Lively and Baldoni’s conflict stems from tensions that surfaced after filming the Colleen Hoover adaptation, followed by Lively suing Baldoni for sexual harassment and Baldoni countersuing Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and the New York Times before his suits were dismissed. 

The case is currently set to go to trial on May 18 after being moved back from March 9.