The legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively over the It Ends With Us set drama is just getting started. With a tentative trial start date of Mar. 9, 2026, the issue is far from solved.

The two co-stars have filed several lawsuits and complaints, and their respective lawyers met on Feb. 3 in New York for a pre-trial meeting. Neither party attended the meeting. However, per Variety, a judge declined to restrict Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman from speaking publicly about the case amid Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ recent petition. Judge Lewis J. Liman presided over the first hearing, and warned that he may move up the March 2026 trial date if the battle continues in the press.

Since the trial will be in Federal court, there won’t be any cameras or audio recording available, but Inner City Press shared a live update of the trial. Lively’s team was the first to offer information about the case, claiming that Baldoni’s team didn’t “tell them” they were planning to file an amended complaint.

The new complaint, filed on Feb. 1, is a 168-page updated document, with more information against The New York Times, and an updated timeline. Both documents are available to the public on the newly released website with the evidence in the case.

Lively’s lawyers also noted they “have contemplated amending our own complaint,” noting they have two weeks to do it. Considering the “high-profile individuals” in the case, the actress’ lawyers are seeking “a protective order.”

Freedman noted they “intend to dismiss the California case” and have the trial in New York. They also asked to “hold Ms. Lively’s deposition as soon as possible,” highlighting loses since the New York Times article came out, both for Melissa Nathan and Wayfarer Studios. The judge highlighted he might accelerate the date of the trial, and it would involve a jury, unless settled. Freedman argued that, “Damage is done before a jury speaks.”

“Our clients are devastated and want to move the case along as quickly as possible,” Freedman said after the hearing outside the courthouse. “We just couldn’t be more pleased with how the case was handled today, how it was managed. We’re going to move as quickly as we possibly can and prove our innocence, in a world where sometimes people judge you before they give you a chance. And we’re going to change that.”

Marvel Studios Was Also Dragged in the It Ends With Us Legal Battle

Although Ryan Reynolds is not officially involved in the production of It Ends With Us, during the press tour, Blake Lively revealed that her husband is “all over” the film. The actress highlighted that the important rooftop scene, which includes Lively and Baldoni’s characters Lily and Ryle, respectively, meeting for the first time, was actually written by Reynolds. Sony, nor Wayfarer, had no idea and the actor is not credited as a writer on It Ends With Us. 

“The iconic rooftop scene, my husband actually wrote it,” Lively told E! News during the red carpet premiere of the film on Aug. 6. “He works on everything I do. I work on everything he does. So his wins, his celebrations are mine and mine are his.” Aside from Reynolds allegedly writing the scene during the SAG-AFTRA strikes, his Deadpool variant in the successful 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine is also under fire for allegedly mocking Baldoni.

In his amended lawsuit, the director made new claims about Nicepool. The addition of the character happened in January 2024, after the infamous meeting between Baldoni and Lively and Reynolds. Marvel Studios and Disney were also involved in the legal proceedings as Baldoni’s team believed the addition of the character in the billion-dollar film was important for the lawsuit, highlighting how Lively and Reynolds allegedly mocked their client.