Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively will have to wait an additional two months for their day in court.

During a Dec. 9 post-discovery status conference, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman told the parties that their civil trial's start date is being pushed back to May 18, 2026, according to a court filing reviewed by USA TODAY.

The trial had previously been scheduled for March 9.

In addition, "now that discovery is largely completed," Liman directed the legal teams to contact a magistrate judge "for the purpose of exploring possible settlement." Liman added that "The Court expresses no view with respect to settlement."

The parties – which include defendants Wayfarer Studios (the production company behind "It Ends With Us"), its CEO Jamey Heath, cofounder Steve Sarowitz, crisis PR specialist Melissa Nathan and publicist Jennifer Abel – are next due in court for oral arguments on Jan. 22.

The final pretrial conference is scheduled for April 21.

"This has no bearing on the pleadings themselves. Following the judge's careful review of evidence, the outcome of summary judgment will ultimately determine next steps," a representative for Wayfarer Studios said in a statement to USA TODAY.

USA TODAY has reached out to Lively's representatives for comment.

Blake Lively wants her 'day in court' as Justin Baldoni's team seeks to avert a jury trial

On Dec. 31, Lively filed a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against "It Ends with Us" director and costar Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios, claiming Baldoni and Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct on and off set. She alleged they "publicly maligned Lively" by launching a smear campaign against her in retaliation for speaking out against their alleged actions.

In October, Liman entered final judgment in the $400 million countersuit case from Baldoni, Wayfarer, Sarowitz, Heath, Nathan and Abel, effectively terminating their Jan. 16 legal action against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and The New York Times.

Attorney Bryan Freedman later released a statement characterizing the move as a "procedural update."

"Our clients chose not to amend their complaint to preserve appeal rights. In the meantime, we are focusing on Ms. Lively's claims," Freedman said. "We remain fully committed to pursuing the truth through every legal and factual avenue available and look forward to our day in court."

The parties have the right to appeal.

Baldoni and his co-plaintiffs' Jan. 16 suit, which was later consolidated with Lively's Dec. 31 sexual harassment lawsuit in New York federal court, accused Lively, Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane of extortion, defamation and false light invasion of privacy, among other allegations.

In November, Baldoni's lead counsel, Alexandra Shapiro, filed a motion for summary judgment that aims to have Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit decided in his favor without a jury trial. The legal strategy is based on the argument that neither side is contesting the facts, and that if they are all accepted as true, the law is still on the side of the petitioner – in this case, Baldoni.

Weeks later, the "Gossip Girl" actress' legal team responded with their own filing that declared "summary judgment is inappropriate" and Lively deserves her "day in court."

Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's trial date gets pushed back

Reporting by KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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