The courtroom saga that has overshadowed everything about "It Ends With Us" isn't slowing down.
A judge has now set a trial date of March 2026 for the dueling lawsuits between Blake Lively and her co-star and director Justin Baldoni, meaning this feud will hang over Hollywood for at least another year.
For anyone who lost the plot: Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on set and of orchestrating a retaliatory smear campaign against her.
Baldoni fired back with his own suit, alleging defamation and claiming Lively and her team tried to seize control of the film.
Both sides deny wrongdoing, and both sides say they have receipts.
The latest twist is a fight over what those receipts actually show.
Lively's legal team has pushed to keep certain communications sealed, while Baldoni's side argues the public deserves the full picture.
A judge has been sorting through dueling motions about protective orders, and the back-and-forth has produced more headlines than most scripted dramas manage in a full season.
What makes this case unusual is how much of it is playing out in public.
Court filings leak, quotes get screenshotted, and both camps seem to understand that the court of public opinion is running on a parallel track.
Fans have picked sides, TikTok has turned testimony into content, and the movie that started it all keeps getting pulled back into the conversation months after its release.
The timing is awkward for everyone involved.
Lively has other projects in the pipeline, and Baldoni has been trying to keep his own production slate moving.
Every new filing resets the news cycle, which means neither of them gets to quietly move on until a jury weighs in.
There's also a broader industry angle here.
Studios are watching closely, because the case touches on how allegations of on-set misconduct get handled behind the scenes and how PR teams respond when a star's reputation is on the line.
Whatever the outcome, it's likely to shape how future disputes get managed, or at least how carefully contracts get written.
For now, the biggest question is what happens between now and 2026.
Settlements are always possible, and high-profile cases often resolve before a trial date arrives.
But with both sides this dug in, and with public attention this intense, a quiet resolution feels less likely than another round of explosive filings. **Our take:** This one has the staying power of a slow-burn miniseries, and the trial date guarantees we're not done hearing about it.
Whether it ends in a courtroom or a settlement, the real verdict may already be getting written online.
Final Thoughts
Hollywood loves a comeback story, but it loves a grudge match even more.