A federal judge has dismissed the majority of the allegations in Blake Lively's lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, according to a ruling issued on Thursday. Judge Lewis Liman rejected 10 out of the 13 claims Lively had brought forward, including those related to sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy, as stated in court documents obtained by Page Six.
However, three claims were allowed to move ahead — specifically those involving breach of contract, retaliation, and assisting or supporting acts of retaliation. This comes as a major setback for Lively ahead of the high-stakes trial between the two. The case between Lively and Baldoni is currently scheduled to go to trial on May 18.
Lively One Down
A representative from Lively's legal team explained to Page Six that the sexual harassment claim isn't moving forward "not because the defendants did nothing wrong," but due to a legal technicality. The court ruled that Lively was working as an independent contractor rather than an employee, which affected how the claim could be handled.
"This case has always been and will remain focused on the devasting retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively's reputation because she stood up for safety on the set and that is the case that is going to trial," the statement continued.
"For Blake Lively, the greatest measure of justice is that the people and the playbook behind these coordinated digital attacks have been exposed and are already being held accountable by other women they've targeted.
"She looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation so that it becomes easier to detect and fight."
Meanwhile, Baldoni's legal team shared a statement with Page Six saying they are "very pleased" that the court dismissed all sexual harassment allegations, along with every claim made against the individual defendants.
"These were very serious allegations, and we are grateful to the Court for its careful review of the facts, law and voluminous evidence that was provided," the statement said. "What's left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court."
Lively had originally accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during their time working together on the set of "It Ends With Us," and she formally filed the lawsuit against the director on December 31, 2024.
She also alleged that a smear campaign was carried out against her following the film's release, claiming it caused her major financial losses — at least $161 million in damages and lost earnings.
Psychological Win for Baldoni
Baldoni has denied all of Lively's accusations and even filed a $400 million lawsuit against her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, later that same month. However, that case was dismissed in June.
At the time, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, told Page Six that the legal fight wasn't over. He explained that his client decided not to revise the complaint in order to keep the option of an appeal open.
"In the meantime, we are focusing on Ms. Lively's claims," Freedman said, adding that his team "remain fully committed to pursuing the truth through every legal and factual avenue available."
On February 11, Baldoni and Lively both appeared in court in Manhattan, drawing attention for unexpectedly wearing similar outfits.
Despite their appearance, attempts to reach a settlement didn't lead anywhere.
In her lawsuit, Lively detailed several alleged incidents of sexual harassment during the filming of "It Ends With Us" — claims that Baldoni has strongly denied.
According to court documents obtained by Page Six, one of the alleged incidents took place while filming a slow dance scene for a montage where no audio was being recorded. Lively claimed that Baldoni leaned in and slowly moved his lips from her ear down to her neck while saying, "It smells so good." She later objected to the behavior, and according to her, Baldoni responded, "I'm not even attracted to you."
In response to these claims, Baldoni's lawyer later released behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot, aiming to challenge and push back against the sexual harassment allegations.
"The scene in question was designed to show the two characters falling in love and longing to be close to one another. Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism," Freedman's statement to Page Six read.
In December, Lively pushed back after Baldoni filed a motion to dismiss her lawsuit the month before, saying she deserves her "day in court."
A heavily redacted, 76-page filing obtained by Page Six accused Baldoni and his co-defendants of essentially "throwing the kitchen sink" at her sexual harassment and retaliation claims — trying every possible legal argument to get them dismissed.
