On Thursday, March 12, Lively, 38, and her legal team submitted a letter citing a recent federal appeals court ruling that they say supports keeping her case against her It Ends With Us costar and director moving forward, according to a report from Us Weekly published on Friday, March 13.
A previous ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit stated that a case should not be dismissed over the wording of a complaint if evidence has already been collected. Lively’s legal team cited that decision in their letter.
Her attorneys argued that the same precedent should apply as she prepares to face Baldoni, 42, in court. Dismissing the case now “would hardly serve the efficient or just resolution of disputes” if evidence exists to support her claims, the letter stated.
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA; Steven Bergman/AFF-USA.COM / MEGA
Lively, 38, and the Jane the Virgin alum have been locked in a legal battle since December 2024, when she filed a lawsuit against Baldoni accusing him of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
In November 2025, Baldoni asked the court to dismiss Lively’s lawsuit, arguing in legal filings that she “cannot prove any actionable sexual harassment.”
The two failed to come to an agreement in court last month when they tried to settle their dispute and Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, told Deadline that their attempts to reach a deal have been “unsuccessful.”
As of now, it appears the the former Gossip Girl star and Baldoni will be heading to trial at some point in May.