January 16, 2026
Blake Lively has taken a major step in her ongoing heated legal fight by bringing a powerful new lawyer in with her strong history of defending women.
The 38-year-old actress hired Sigrid McCawley, a well-known attorney who earlier represented Jeffrey Epstein’s victims.
The move came as Lively prepares for her upcoming trial with her It Ends with Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni which is scheduled for May 2026.
A Simple Favor actress first filed a lawsuit in December 2024, accusing Baldoni for harassing her sexually and claimed that she faced an aggressive work environment.
However, Lively also alleged that the actor and director also went out and ran a smear campaign against her.
Whereas Baldoni strongly denied all those claims and responded with lawsuits of his own, as he also sent against the New York Times as well for ruining his image, which was later dismissed by a judge.
McCawley told PEOPLE that joining Lively’s legal team is a privilege, sharing that the case is about a woman who stood up for herself and other women.