Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, believes the actor’s legal battle with Blake Lively is unlikely to be resolved before the trial in May 2026. 

In a recent podcast episode of The Town, Freedman shared his thoughts on the case.

“Justin has been destroyed by this,” Freedman said. “This is a really serious thing and in this day and age, the only way that you can truly get back is to prove your innocence… That’s what we’re actively working [towards]. So that may only be able to be done in a courtroom.”

The lawyer disagreed with host Matt Belloni’s suggestion that the intense public interest and “damage to both sides” would lead to a settlement. 

“You keep referring to it as a circus—and I get it,” he countered. “But the reality is this is not a circus when you go through an experience like this.”

The legal battle between Baldoni and Lively, which includes lawsuits accusing each other of a smear campaign, continues to escalate. Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, recently applied for a protective order to keep sensitive information private, which was partially approved by a judge.

Freedman argued that the request was “overboard and unnecessary,” while Lively’s legal team celebrated the ruling, stating it will “ensure the free flow of discovery material.” 

“With this order in place,” they said, “Ms Lively will move forward in the discovery process to obtain even more of the evidence that will prove her claims in Court.”

For those unversed, Lively and Baldoni are embroiled in a heated dispute surrounding alleged misconduct on the set of their 2024 film, It Ends With Us. 

The Gossip Girl alum filed a complaint in California, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign to damage her reputation.

The complaint, filed on December 20, also names producer Jamey Heath, Wayfarer Studios, and its co-founder Steve Sarowitz. She also alleges that Baldoni’s “disturbing” and “unprofessional” behavior created a “hostile work environment” on set.