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Actor Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni went to a Manhattan federal courthouse on Wednesday for required settlement talks in a lawsuit that is set to proceed to trial in May, according to the Associated Press.
The talks ran for more than six hours between lawyers, the report said. After the negotiations ended, Lively and Baldoni left the courthouse separately and went to their waiting cars, with neither side speaking to reporters as they departed.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said in an email that the settlement talks did not result in a settlement. The discussions were not held in public, the report said, noting that mandatory settlement talks are generally required before a civil case moves toward trial.
The case centers on allegations that Lively raised against Baldoni regarding the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends With Us.” Lively sued Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios production company, alleging sexual harassment on the set and describing what she characterized as a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation after she complained about his treatment of her during production.
Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios denied the allegations and countersued Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging defamation and extortion. The report said Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed that countersuit last June.
The litigation, which has continued for about a year, has drawn in broader celebrity attention, with the report saying it has raised questions about power, influence and gender dynamics in Hollywood. Lively’s legal filings indicated the May 18 trial was expected to feature other well-known figures as people who might have information about the case.
In court papers, Lively’s legal team said singer Taylor Swift, model Gigi Hadid and actors Emily Blunt, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Hugh Jackman could have information. The filings also identified influencer Candace Owens, media personality Perez Hilton and designer Ashley Avignone, according to the Associated Press report.
With settlement talks ending without an agreement, the case remains on track for the scheduled May 18 trial.