Story perspectives

Judge Schedules 2026 Trial, Lively’s $100M Claim Trimmed

4/29/2026

Summary

Lively Lawsuit

Judge Lewis Liman set jury selection for Blake Lively’s lawsuit for May 18, 2026 in New York.
He dismissed ten of Lively’s thirteen claims, leaving retaliation and breach-of-contract allegations.
Lively’s lawyers say she lost $39 million-$143 million, including a missed $35 million sequel payment, while Baldoni’s attorneys say the amounts are speculative and cite $21 million earned from four films.
A pre-trial hearing on the expert witnesses the parties dispute is set for next week.

Summary

Lively Court Fight

The court heard arguments on April 28 about Blake Lively’s expert report estimating up to $230 million in lost earnings and $40 million in reputational harm.
The alleged smear campaign tied to the lawsuit caused Blake Lively’s hair-care line to lose years of investment.
Justin Baldoni hired a crisis-management firm after Blake Lively publicly disparaged him.
Neither Blake Lively nor Justin Baldoni attended the April 28 hearing despite expectations they would testify.

History

Historical Context

In 2005 Mariah Carey secured a $28 million settlement from Sony Music, echoing her 2002 $28 million buyout of a Virgin Records contract after the commercial failure of the film Glitter. The award illustrates the 2000s trend of high-value entertainment lawsuits, a pattern also evident in the 2015 Cox Communications piracy case that pursued billions in damages.

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Lively Lawsuit

Judge Lewis Liman set jury selection for Blake Lively’s lawsuit for May 18, 2026 in New York.
He dismissed ten of Lively’s thirteen claims, leaving retaliation and breach-of-contract allegations.
Lively’s lawyers say she lost $39 million-$143 million, including a missed $35 million sequel payment, while Baldoni’s attorneys say the amounts are speculative and cite $21 million earned from four films.
A pre-trial hearing on the expert witnesses the parties dispute is set for next week.

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