NY Judge Delays Lively-Baldoni Trial to May 2026

A New York federal judge has postponed the civil trial in Blake Lively's sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, delaying the high-profile case by more than two months to accommodate criminal proceedings on the court's docket.

The trial, originally set to begin on March 9, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, will now start on May 18, 2026. Judge Lewis J. Liman announced the change during a post-discovery hearing on December 9. "As important as this case is, criminal trials take precedence," Liman stated, noting two such trials already scheduled for March. The judge also directed attorneys for both sides to meet with a magistrate judge to explore settlement options, a standard step in federal civil cases despite indications from the parties that they prefer to proceed to trial.

Lively, 38, filed the lawsuit in December 2024, accusing Baldoni, 41, and his production company Wayfarer Studios of sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 film "It Ends With Us," which they both starred in and where Baldoni served as director. She alleges the behavior caused her severe emotional distress and led to a retaliatory smear campaign that damaged...