Neither actor attended Tuesday’s pre-trial conference where attorneys argued over the admissibility of expert witness testimony regarding Lively's reputational damage and economic losses

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are barreling toward their high-profile trial next month, bringing the protracted legal saga tied to their 2024 film It Ends With Us to a head.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday, May 18. Attorneys for Lively estimate their case will take three to four weeks to present, with Baldoni’s team saying they might request a similar amount of time to put on their defense.

Neither Lively nor Baldoni attended Tuesday’s three-hour pre-trial conference where their attorneys argued before U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman over the admissibility of expert witness testimony, particularly claims tied to Lively’s reputational damage and economic losses.

Lively’s legal team is seeking to introduce testimony estimating the Gossip Girl actress suffered between $39 million and $143 million in losses following the fallout from the dispute. 

One expert attributed those losses in part to the impact on her businesses, including her new haircare line Blake Brown and the alcoholic beverage brand Betty Booze. Another projected Lively missed out on a potential $35 million payday tied to a sequel to It Ends With Us, along with additional opportunities.

Baldoni’s attorneys pushed back, calling the projections speculative and wildly inflated. They argued Lively’s work history didn’t support such estimates, noting she has appeared in just four films over the past eight years with total earnings of roughly $21 million.

Judge Liman did not immediately rule on whether the expert testimony on the topics would be permitted. Instead, he tentatively scheduled a hearing for next week where both sides can question the experts directly.

The expert witness dispute comes as the scope of the case has narrowed significantly since Lively first filed her lawsuit in December 2024. In a ruling earlier this month, Judge Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims — including allegations of sexual harassment — leaving the upcoming trial to focus primarily on retaliation and breach of contract.

Lively’s original complaint accused Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios of fostering a toxic, sexually charged work environment that discriminated against women. She further alleged that after raising concerns about such behavior privately, Baldoni and the film’s producers orchestrated a coordinated smear campaign, using social media to “silence” and “eviscerate” her. 

Baldoni and Wayfarer have adamantly denied Lively’s claims. 

The tension between the two co-stars spilled out into public view during the film’s August 2024 premiere, where Baldoni was noticeably absent from the red carpet. Online sleuths began digging into the rift, leading to a wave of negative press about Lively. 

The fallout has been highly publicized and multi-pronged with Baldoni filing a since-dismissed $400 million countersuit against Lively, alleging she defamed him. He also filed a failed defamation claim against The New York Times, which broke the news of Lively’s sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni. (A judge tossed out both lawsuits in June 2025.) 

The sprawling case, which has thousands of court filings, is a battle of salvaging tarnished reputations. As Judge Liman previously remarked, he viewed the multi-million dollar case as a “feud between PR firms.”

The legal dispute has managed to rope in a host of celebrity names, some who might be dragged into court to testify. Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds and close friend Taylor Swift were among the dozens of names on a potential witness list.