Blake Lively asks judge for more time in Justin Baldoni case due to summer plans after settled court war

Blake Lively cited a busy schedule in a legal filing Tuesday requesting more time in her ongoing litigation with It Ends with Us costar Justin Baldoni over legal fees.

Lively, 38, said that a June 22 deadline to present all materials to the court was going to be difficult to achieve, in a letter filed Tuesday in New York City federal court reviewed by the Daily Mail.

The Los Angeles-born actress said she and her lawyers have a 'number of conflicting personal and professional obligations, including international travel' amid the ongoing court case with Baldoni, 42.

Attorneys for Lively asked for 'an additional seven days, to June 29, 2026, to submit her initial brief' assuming it was 'primarily intended to focus on legal principles.'

The legal team for the actress asked for a 30-day extension - which would make for a July 15, 2026 deadline, should the court also want submissions on 'legal principles and [her] motion for attorneys' fees and costs.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Baldoni for further comment on the story. 

Lively's lawyers said that the additional time was essential for them to assemble 'supporting invoices and other supporting evidence as to the reasonableness of fees and costs.'

Lawyers for the Gossip Girl actress said she 'met and conferred in advance of this request with' Baldoni's production company Wayfarer, 'who objected to any effort to seek clarification or extend any deadlines, including their response deadline.'

The judge in the case denied Lively's request for damages, but permitted her to proceed in collecting attorneys' fees linked to Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against the actress.

Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman told reporters of the judge's decision to not award Lively damages, 'Throughout this process, innocent people had their reputations unfairly tarnished.'

Freedman said on June 12 that 'there was no sexual harassment,' 'retaliation' or 'smear campaign' on his client's part.

'The court recognized it, the record reflects it, and we have maintained it from the very beginning,' he said. 'We would not hesitate to stand up for the truth again.'

He added: 'Notwithstanding that all of her sexual harassment and defamation claims were thrown out by the court, Ms. Lively then pivoted to exploit a California law that was established to protect real victims in what proved to be a fruitless mission to obtain damages - once again, she failed.'

Baldoni's contentious legal battle with Lively had dragged on nearly a year-and-a-half, as in December of 2024, she named him in a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, retaliatory conduct, and intentional infliction of emotional stress. 

In April, a judge threw out 10 of the 13 claims Lively made in her initial filing, such as sexual harassment, conspiracy and defamation. The two then settled May 4, two weeks ahead of a projected May 18 trial date.     

In a joint statement issued by their respective legal teams in the wake of the settlement, Lively and Baldoni said they emerged from the contentious case with mutual aims.

'Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors - and all survivors - is a goal that we stand behind,' Lively and Baldoni said. 'It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.'

In her lawsuit, the actress accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways - including body shaming her - and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation. 

Lively also named a number of Baldoni's collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio's CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel.

Baldoni had initially asked for $250 million in damages from The New York Times, mentioning a report it published on the topic that he claimed was defamatory, then added it to the $400 million lawsuit he filed this past January.

In the suit, Baldoni named Lively, her spouse Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, citing the aforementioned report in legal documents. It was thrown out of court in June of 2025. All parties denied all of the allegations against them.

It Ends with Us earned $148 million in domestic box office and $350 million globally - but whatever goodwill the film garnered has since been overshadowed by the allegations made by its stars. 

The motion picture, which also starred Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, was based on the 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover. The storyline of the film centered around a toxic relationship between Lily Bloom (played by Lively) and Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni).

According to a logline for the film, Lily 'overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life,' as 'a chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents' relationship.' 

Lively broke out with the 2005 movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants opposite Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel and America Ferrera. 

That led to her high-profile role on the TV show Gossip Girl, which she starred on from 2007-2012, playing lead character Serena van der Woodsen. She has also appeared in movies such as 2010's The Town, 2016's The Shallows, 2018's A Simple Favor and 2020's The Rhythm Section.

Prior to It Ends with Us, Baldoni was best known for playing the role of Rafael Solano on the TV show Jane the Virgin from 2014–2019. 

He also has directed films including 2019's Five Feet Apart and 2020's Clouds, and penned the 2021 book Man Enough, which tackled misconceptions of contemporary masculinity.