Rough Court Day for Blake Lively. Judge Dumps Bulk of Her Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni

A federal judge has dismissed the majority of Blake Lively’s claims in her ongoing legal battle against director Justin Baldoni, dealing a major blow to her sexual harassment lawsuit tied to their film “It Ends With Us.”

Still No End in Sight

In a ruling issued by Judge Lewis Liman on April 2, 10 out of 13 claims brought by Lively were thrown out, including key allegations of harassment and defamation. The decision narrows the case considerably, leaving only three claims moving forward: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation.

The case is now set to proceed to trial in New York on May 18.

Lively originally filed the lawsuit in 2024, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and alleging that he and his team orchestrated a smear campaign to damage her reputation. Baldoni has consistently denied the allegations and previously filed a countersuit, which was dismissed last year.

According to the judge’s ruling, several of Lively’s claims failed due to legal technicalities. One major issue was jurisdiction. While Lively filed sexual harassment claims under California law, the alleged incidents took place in New Jersey during filming. Judge Liman stated there was not enough connection to California to support those claims.

Additionally, the court found that Lively’s status as an independent contractor and not an employee, limited her ability to pursue certain harassment and retaliation claims under the law.

Defamation claims against Baldoni and his legal team were also dismissed. The judge determined that statements made by Baldoni’s lawyer were tied directly to the legal dispute and therefore did not meet the legal threshold for defamation.

Despite the dismissals, the case is over just yet. The judge allowed key retaliation-related claims to proceed, noting that while some actions taken by Baldoni’s team may fall within acceptable public relations practices, other conduct could potentially cross legal boundaries.

The ongoing dispute stems from tensions on the set of “It Ends With Us,” a film adaptation of the popular Colleen Hoover novel. The 2024 film grossed over $351 million worldwide against a production budget of roughly $25 million. 

Lively’s legal team has accused Baldoni, whose net worth is about $6 million, and his company, Wayfarer Studios, of attempting to undermine her publicly through media and online narratives.

Both sides are now preparing for trial, where Lively, whose net worth is around $30 million, is expected to testify. Her legal team maintains that the core of the case remains intact and will focus on what they describe as retaliatory actions taken against her.

Baldoni’s attorneys, on the other hand, said they welcomed the ruling, emphasizing that the case has been significantly narrowed.