<p>After two years of legal mudslinging between “Gossip Girl” actress Blake Lively and actor-director Justin Baldoni, a civil trial was set to unfold in New York.</p><br><p>The “It Ends With Us” co-stars instead capped their bitter dispute with a settlement deal that ended an ugly and costly two-year public ordeal that battered their reputations.</p><br><p><em>The Trial: USA</em> this week examines the history of the litigation and explains why a last-minute settlement was a likely outcome. Kayla Brantley interviews entertainment and sports attorney Thomas H. Herndon Jr. about the legal drama.</p><br><p>In this episode, Herndon Jr. breaks down the legal strategies at play and weighs in on what a trial may have looked like.</p><br><p><br></p><ul><li>Email us: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a>&nbsp;</li><li>WhatsApp us: +44 7796 657512 Start your message with Trial</li><li>Presenter: Kayla Brantley</li><li>Producer: Lucy Robson</li><li>Editor: Chelsey Ranore</li><li>Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham</li><li>Executive Producer: Jamie East</li></ul><p>Follow us on TikTok: @DailyMailCrime</p><p>Email us:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a></p><p>WhatsApp us:&nbsp;<a href="tel:+447796657512" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">+44 7796 657512</a>&nbsp;Start your message with Trial</p><br><p>Presenter: Kayla Brantley</p><p>Producer: Lucy Robson</p><p>Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham</p><p>Executive Producer: Jamie East</p><br><p><a href="https://link.news.dailymail.co.uk/join/4w5/crime-desk-sign-up?utm_source=dailymail.co.uk&amp;[%E2%80%A6]&amp;utm_term=crime_newsletter_podcast&amp;utm_budgetpot=organic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter</strong></a>. <strong> </strong></p><p>It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>