Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni showed up at a New York courthouse on Wednesday to see if her sexual harassment lawsuit could be resolved before trial in May.
According to the Associated Press, conversations between lawyers lasted more than six hours before Lively and Baldoni left the Manhattan federal courthouse separately and went straight to their waiting cars without saying anything. Lively looked stern as she walked out as Baldoni smiled.
“Justin walks proudly with his wife Emily by his side… smiling, graceful and confident as ever. Blake, on the other hand, walks alone. No family, no Ryan, no visible support. It really seems like Khaleesi is alone, without her dragons,” an X user wrote referring to her husband Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Swift.
Dozens of Baldoni’s supporters criticized Lively on social media for her lawsuit against him, accusing her of trying to destroy his carrier.
In a text message to Baldoni, Lively allegedly compared herself to Game of Thrones character Khaleesi and called Reynolds and Swift her two “dragons,” according to a complaint.
Baldoni had said he was invited to Lively’s New York home in 2023 to discuss script changes, where Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and Swift were there to serve as her “dragons.”
After their recent court appearance, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman said in an email that the talks did not lead to a settlement.
Mandatory settlement discussions are generally required before a civil case goes to trial. They are not held in public.
Lively sued Baldoni and his hired crisis communications expert for harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation after she complained about his treatment of her on the film set.
Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios have countersued Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed that lawsuit last June.
The trial, scheduled for May 18, was expected to be star-studded. Lively’s legal team had indicated in court filings that people likely to have information about the case included singer Taylor Swift, model Gigi Hadid, actors Emily Blunt, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Hugh Jackman, influencer Candace Owens, media personality Perez Hilton and designer Ashley Avignone.
