Judge Sets March 2026 Trial Date for Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

The tension between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively continues to escalate week by week. This ongoing feud has kept Hollywood on edge for months, with new details emerging regularly. The latest revelation is the leak of an audio message that the director sent to the co-star of 'Breaking the Circle', just days before the judge handling the case set March 2026 as the trial date for both parties.

Before the artists face each other in court, a hearing is scheduled for February 3rd to consider the request for a gag order made by the actress and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

The conflict between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni began a year ago during the filming of 'Breaking the Circle'. It was during the film's promotion that initial reports of differences between the director and the actress surfaced, with the two not posing together during the movie's publicity events.

The dispute became more apparent when the actress filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging inappropriate behaviour on set. She claimed that the director's actions caused her "severe emotional distress" and accused him of orchestrating media attacks to "destroy her reputation".

Baldoni, on his part, categorically denied such allegations, calling them "misunderstandings" and insisted he never intended to make anyone uncomfortable. Additionally, the film director filed a countersuit against his co-star and her husband for defamation and damage to his professional reputation, seeking 400 million euros.

Besides the trial date, this week's development includes the leak of a voice note sent by Baldoni to Lively at 3:24 am in April 2023, in which he apologised for disagreements over the script.

"Blake... I hope this doesn't wake you," the actor and director began. "There are so many things I want to say to you, and I hope we can have a video call or meet in person soon... but I'll just send you some thoughts. I want to start with an apology. I certainly fell short, and you worked very hard on that, and the way you framed it, and how that made you feel... I just wanted to thank you for sharing that with me," he continued. "That requires a lot of trust and vulnerability, and I'm very grateful that you feel safe enough to tell me how you feel and share it with me. I messed up," he admitted.

"Something you should know about me is that I admit and apologise when I fail. I'm far from perfect. I'm a man with many flaws, as my wife can attest. I'm going to mess up, say something wrong, make mistakes... but I will always apologise and find a way back. I'm sorry for making you feel that way. You must have felt terrible. I will surely do better. It wasn't my best weekend, and I should have given it more time," he concluded his apology in a message where he also mentioned his visit to the actress's penthouse in New York, where he met Reynolds and Taylor Swift, one of her major supporters during these challenging times.

Amidst this media storm, Justin Baldoni celebrated his 41st birthday on January 24th with public support from his wife and mother. Both posted messages on social media defending the director's character. "Life has its moments and surprises. If you maintain your integrity, despite everything, justice and truth will shine. I love you more than you'll ever know. Happy birthday, my precious child. May God continue to bless you with the truth," his mother wrote on Instagram.

His wife, Emily Baldoni, also shared a photo with their two children, sending a clear message of support: "Happy birthday, my love. I celebrate the man, husband, and father you are. I would choose you over and over again."