Federal judge dismisses most of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni in It Ends With Us case
Consensus Summary
A federal judge dismissed the majority of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni, director of It Ends With Us, ruling that Lively was an independent contractor and the conduct occurred during scripted scenes. The case now focuses on retaliation and breach of contract, with a trial set for May 18. Both sources confirm Lively alleged intimate, unwanted physical contact, including Baldoni kissing her forehead and commenting on her appearance, but Judge Liman ruled this was part of acting. Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim against Lively and Ryan Reynolds was previously dismissed. The film, a domestic abuse drama, became a global hit despite ongoing legal disputes, with Lively’s private messages to celebrities like Taylor Swift and Ben Affleck surfacing as part of the case. While both sources agree on key facts, ABC includes additional allegations like Baldoni’s ‘sexual harassment training’ remark and a naked birth scene controversy, which Guardian articles do not mention.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of the 13 claims in Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, including sexual harassment, conspiracy, and defamation (Guardian, ABC, Guardian)
- Three claims remain: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation (Guardian, ABC, Guardian)
- Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee, so her sexual harassment claims under Title VII were dismissed (ABC, Guardian)
- Judge Liman ruled that Justin Baldoni’s conduct was ‘acting in the scene’ during filming of It Ends With Us, citing intimate scenes between characters (Guardian, ABC)
- The trial is scheduled for May 18, 2025 (Guardian, ABC)
- Blake Lively alleged Baldoni kissed her forehead, rubbed his face against her neck, and said ‘it smells good’ during filming (Guardian, ABC)
- Judge Liman cited Baldoni’s comment ‘pretty hot’ after asking Lively to remove her jacket as part of the case (ABC)
- It Ends With Us grossed over $350 million worldwide (Guardian, ABC)
- Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim against Lively and Ryan Reynolds in June 2024 (ABC, Guardian)
- Blake Lively’s lawsuit was filed in December 2024 (ABC)
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, described defendants as ‘very good people who have not engaged in this sexual harassment as alleged’ (Guardian)
- Freedman stated the defendants were ‘not afraid of the truth’ and presented evidence repeatedly (Guardian)
- Mike Gottlieb, Lively’s attorney, said the court’s ruling was about legal technicalities, not an endorsement of defendants’ conduct (Guardian)
- The Guardian mentions unsealed text messages between Lively and Taylor Swift, where Lively called Baldoni the ‘doofus director of my movie’ (Guardian)
- The Guardian references a 152-page opinion by Judge Liman (Guardian)
- Judge Liman noted Baldoni’s comment ‘Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training’ after being warned about inappropriate comments (ABC)
- The judge cited Baldoni’s alleged discussion of pornography addiction and Lively’s claim she had never seen pornography (ABC)
- ABC mentions Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios countersued Lively and Ryan Reynolds for defamation and extortion (ABC)
- ABC states the box office debut was $50 million (ABC)
- ABC notes Baldoni pushed for a naked birth scene filmed without proper set closure (ABC)
- The Guardian highlights Lively’s private messages to Ben Affleck and Taylor Swift as part of the case context (Guardian)
- Former lawyer Matthew Belloni commented that the case ‘hurts both of them’ due to prolonged litigation (Guardian)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Guardian (Article 1) states Freedman said ‘the defendants were not afraid of the truth,’ but ABC does not mention this exact quote
- Guardian (Article 3) does not mention Baldoni’s ‘Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training’ comment, which ABC includes
- ABC states the film grossed $50 million at debut, while Guardian (Article 3) states it grossed over $350 million worldwide (no direct contradiction but differing figures)
- Guardian (Article 1) mentions a 152-page opinion by Liman, but ABC does not specify the length of the ruling
- Guardian (Article 3) does not mention Baldoni’s alleged push for a naked birth scene without proper set closure, which ABC includes
Source Articles
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