Blake Lively shifts 'focus' from Justin Baldoni legal battle for vacations

Blake Lively is choosing to step back from her high-profile legal fight with Justin Baldoni and focus on family time as the holiday season approaches. 

According to a source, the actress is intentionally keeping her attention on the present, making space for vacations and meaningful moments with her children rather than the courtroom drama that has followed her for the past year.

The 38-year-old actress, who shares four children with husband Ryan Reynolds, is said to be centering her days around motherhood and the holidays. 

An insider explains that while Lively continues to manage her professional responsibilities, including promoting her hair line, her main priority right now is creating a joyful and memorable Christmas for her kids. 

Anything related to the lawsuit, the source adds, is something she plans to deal with later.

Her outlook, according to the insider, is firmly rooted in the now. The mindset is very much that next year can wait, with family time taking precedence over everything else during the holidays.

Lively’s legal battle with her It Ends With Us costar officially reached the one-year mark this month. 

In December 2024, she filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and others, accusing them of sexual harassment and retaliation. 

Baldoni has denied the claims. Lively is seeking more than $160 million in damages, and the trial is scheduled for May 2026 in New York City.

In a statement marking the anniversary of the lawsuit, Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, said the actress “has persevered against a billionaire-financed effort to try to ‘bury’ her, her family and businesses through retaliatory lawsuits and a relentless media and digital campaign.” 

They added that Lively “is more determined than ever to shine a light on the forces that work behind the scenes to silence and discredit women who dare speak up.”

Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, also shared a statement, saying, “My clients are deeply grateful for the support and kind words they’ve received over the past year. We trust that the truth will ultimately prevail.” 

He went on to note that the holiday season should be a time of compassion, adding, “We hope the focus remains on supporting those who need it most and that we continue to look out for one another this holiday season.”

For now, Lively appears focused on stepping away from the legal noise, embracing time off, and putting her family first as the year comes to a close.