Blake Lively plays mahjong at court during Justin Baldoni settlement
Blake Lively turned heads by bringing her mahjong set to a federal court in New York during a six-hour settlement conference with actor Justin Baldoni and Judge Sarah L. Cave on February 11, 2026.
No deal was reached, so their trial is now set for May 18, 2026.
The legal battle explained
Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2025, accusing him of sexual harassment on the film's set and of a smear campaign following behind-the-scenes tensions related to It Ends With Us. She's asking for $500 million in damages.
Baldoni denied everything and filed his own $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist—but that was thrown out in June 2025.
Why the mahjong set?
By mid-morning at court, with everyone waiting in separate rooms, Lively asked for her mahjong set—her chauffeur dropped it off so she could pass the time.
In December 2025 she told Vogue, "I have been teaching friends how to play [mahjong], though I need to say I'm not a certified teacher," adding she often gifts sets to friends.