The legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, besides causing stress to the actor, has also started to have an economic impact on him.
Last Monday, the case between the co-stars of It Ends With Us had its first hearing, which is scheduled to go to trial on March 9, 2026. During the hearing, Judge Lewis J. Liman warned both parties that he has the power to advance the trial date if the complaints continue to be "litigated in the press."
How is the legal battle affecting Justin Baldoni economically in his case against Blake Lively?
During the hearing, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said that his "clients are devastated financially and emotionally" due to the situation. It is important to remember that Freedman also represents the producers of It Ends With Us, Jamey Heath and Steve Sarowitz, their production company Wayfarer Studios, and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
“I don't want to sound like a 4-year-old child fighting with another 4-year-old saying ‘they started it,’ but in these kinds of cases, once someone says something, it becomes a fact: there's no way to fight against that,” Freedman added on Monday, according to People. “My biggest concern is that my clients have already suffered losses of hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of actions that took them by surprise.”
On the other hand, Lively's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, used similar language to describe his reaction to the case, telling the judge that the alleged "retaliation campaign" by Baldoni's team has been "devastating" for the former Gossip Girl actress, according to CNN.
After Monday's procedure, both Lively's and Baldoni's lawyers said they were happy with how things went. "We are pleased with the outcome of today's hearing and eager to immediately move forward with the evidence gathering in this case," Lively's representatives, 37, told Us Weekly in a statement. "The court granted our request that all lawyers involved in the case truly follow the rule of law and do not make statements that could influence a jury. This case involves serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. We will hold the accused accountable and are confident that, once all evidence is presented, Mrs. Lively will prevail."
The Baldoni team told Us: “Our clients are devastated and want to move forward with the case as quickly as possible. We couldn’t be more satisfied with how the case was handled today, how it was managed. We are going to move as fast as we can and prove our innocence, in a world where sometimes people judge you before giving you a chance. And we are going to change that.”