In his first comments since the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni lawsuit began, her lawyer, Mike Gottlieb, confirmed that she was preparing to testify in the upcoming trial. In December, the “Another Simple Favor” actor filed a complaint and then a lawsuit, accusing her “It Ends With Us” co-star of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni, denying the allegations, filed a subsequent countersuit of $400 million for defamation and civil extortion, which Lively’s attorneys dubbed “meritless” and filed a motion to dismiss it. The legal battle between the two Hollywood stars continues, with each occasionally coming up with new evidence to validate their claims.
Blake Lively will take the stand in upcoming trial against Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively’s lawyer exclusively confirmed to PEOPLE that she will testify in the forthcoming trial, stemming from the Justin Baldoni lawsuit case. Her attorney, Mike Gottlieb, revealed this as part of his first comments since the legal battle between them developed. Gottlieb responded with an affirmative when the publication asked whether Lively would take the stand to share her story – under oath – in her upcoming court case against Baldoni. The trial is scheduled to start in March 2026.
Gottlieb noted that it would be the “ultimate moment” for the “Gossip Girl” alum to share her story during the trial as a plaintiff. “We expect that to be the case here,” the legal counsel said, announcing their team’s expectations of her taking the stand as a witness. He declared, “Of course she’s going to testify.” The attorney then indicated that other individuals who also likely witnessed or “experienced misconduct,” which could be relevant to Lively’s claims. Her legal team hopes “witness testimony” will shed light on the happenings on the film’s set.
Additionally, Blake Lively’s lawyer believes discussions concerning her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni have distracted the public conversations from “the core part of the case.” Mike Gottlieb claimed that certain diversions in the legal battle have sidetracked attention from the “retaliation campaign” against Lively for voicing “concerns about sexual harassment.”
In his statement, Gottlieb highlighted that their legal team’s plan involves much more than witness testimonies. They also intend to rely on key evidence, including documents and statements from other eyewitnesses such as producers, Sony Pictures, and more. Moreover, he asserted that they “don’t expect” the case to “turn into a circus of parading in every celebrity,” addressing speculation about Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman’s subpoena.
