Blake Lively is set to face off against her co-star Justin Baldoni in federal court in May 2026. However, the “Gossip Girl” actress is reportedly nervous about the upcoming interaction and hopes to bar the jury from learning certain details. Lively and Baldoni have been embroiled in a legal battle since the former filed an initial complaint with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2024, alleging a hostile work environment.
Blake Lively Reportedly Hoping To Bar Jury Members From Learning Too Much About Her Finances
According to TMZ, Lively does not want the jury to know about her multimillion-dollar net worth or the resources she and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, have access to.
Legal documents show that the actress filed a request weeks ago, asking the judge overseeing the case to prevent any evidence of her “financial status” from being made public.
Page Six reported that, in November 2025, Lively claimed she lost out on more than $160 million due to her ongoing legal battle with Baldoni.
Representatives for the actress said she lost $56.2 million in past and future earnings from acting, producing, other engagements, and endorsements.
Lively reportedly lost $49 million from her haircare line, Blake Brown, and $22 million from her beverage company, Betty Buzz/Betty Booze.
Lastly, Lively’s team said she lost a staggering $34 million in reputational harm.
Blake Lively Accused Baldoni Of Creating A Hostile Work Enviornment In A Bombshell Filing In December 2024
Lively and Baldoni have been in an intense legal battle since the former accused the “Jane the Virgin” actor of creating a hostile work environment on the set of “It Ends With Us.”
The documents, according to E! News, claim Baldoni showed nude images of women to Lively without her consent and also reportedly spoke to her in depth about his past “pornography addiction” or “sexual conquests.”
In response to the original filing, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, slammed the complaint and accused Lively of using it to “fix her negative reputation.” Freedman called the contents of the filing “false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.”
Baldoni Files A $250 Million Lawsuit Against The New York Times
Baldoni first responded to the claims by filing a $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, alleging it published a story that included “cherry-picked” text messages intended to cast the actor in a bad light.
In the filing, Baldoni argued that the NYT was acting as a press firm for Lively and her husband. However, the paper responded to the suit, per PEOPLE, denying any wrongdoing. “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported,” a spokesperson for the paper said, adding that it will “vigorously” defend itself against the accusations.
Blake Lively Sues Baldoni, Claims She Suffered ‘Severe Emotional Distress’ While Working With Him On ‘It Ends With Us’
Lively fired back with a suit of her own, alleging that Baldoni, along with members of his team, caused “mental pain and anguish, severe emotional distress, and lost wages,” according to E! News.
Lively also included “crisis manager” Melissa Nathan, Baldoni’s publicist, Jennifer Abel, and the actor’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, in the suit.
“The “As alleged in Ms. Lively’s federal Complaint, Wayfarer and its associates have violated federal and California state law by retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns,” Lively’s team claimed. “Now, the defendants will answer for their conduct in federal court.”
Lively’s official lawsuit came days after her team claimed she was the victim of a planned cyberattack aimed at harming her public image.
“As alleged in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and as we will prove in litigation, Wayfarer and its associates engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively for simply trying to protect herself and others on a film set,” Lively’s team added.
A Judge Dismisses Parts Of Lively’s Case
In April 2026, a judge in New York dismissed much of Lively’s case against Baldoni, including accusations of sexual harassment on the set of “It Ends With Us.”
The judge said Baldoni’s behavior “was not so far beyond what might reasonably be expected to take place between two characters” in a movie about sex and relationships.
“That Baldoni suggested scenes involving sexual acts in the context of developing a motion picture involving such adult themes did not create a ‘sexually objectionable environment’ or an environment hostile to women (or to men) because of sex,” the judge continued.
Lively is able to pursue certain retaliation claims, according to ABC News, with the judge saying Baldon’s PR team “crossed the line” with its reported targeted smear campaign.
“The reputational effects have been particularly severe given the nature of Lively’s profession, which places a heavy emphasis on personal and professional marketability,” the judge wrote.
The case between Lively and Baldoni is scheduled to begin on May 18, 2026.