Blake Lively will be 'key witness' at trial against Justin Baldoni: Lawyer
Blake Lively will be her own star witness at a scheduled trial against her "It Ends With Us" co-star and director Justin Baldoni, her lawyer says.
Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer recently added to Lively's legal team, said the actress is "ready to go" while speaking with reporters outside court following a hearing on Thursday.
"The key witness will be Blake Lively herself," McCawley said.
McCawley said she did not expect Lively's husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, to testify, nor did she expect Lively's friend, pop superstar Taylor Swift, whose texts with the actress about the film and Baldoni were unsealed this week in advance of the hearing, to be called as a witness.
The comments came after a federal judge in New York on Thursday questioned whether all of Lively's claims against Baldoni deserve to be heard by a jury.
Liman did not immediately rule on the defense request for summary judgment.
Lively and Baldoni have been embroiled in a legal battle since December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. The two later filed dueling lawsuits against each other in New York in the weeks that followed.
Lively's lawsuit, filed Dec. 31, 2024, reiterated many of the claims made in her California Civil Rights Department complaint and accused Baldoni and Wayfarer of allegedly engaging in "unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing" to ruin her reputation. She is seeking $500 million in damages.
Baldoni has denied the allegations outlined in the suit, with his lawyer stating at the time of filing that they had "evidence which will show a pattern of bullying and threats to take over the movie" by Lively.
In January last year, Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, the couple's publicist Leslie Sloane, and Sloane's public relations company Vision PR, alleging extortion and defamation, claiming Lively had "robbed" him of control over the film and destroyed his reputation.
Lively's lawyers have denied the allegations and called Baldoni's counterclaim "another chapter in the abuser playbook."
A federal judge in New York dismissed Baldoni's suit in June last year, formally ending the counterclaim in October after Baldoni did not refile an amended complaint.
Attorney Bryan Freedman said in a statement at the time, "Our clients chose not to amend their complaint to preserve appeal rights. In the meantime, we are focusing on Ms. Lively's claims. We remain fully committed to pursuing the truth through every legal and factual avenue available and look forward to our day in court."
Lively's suit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios is ongoing, with a trial currently set to begin May 18.
ABC News has reached out to Baldoni's representatives for comment.
