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, leaving only three claims—breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting—to proceed to trial on May 18. The ruling hinged on Lively’s status as an independent contractor, which barred her from bringing Title VII sexual harassment claims, and Judge Lewis Liman’s determination that Baldoni’s conduct was part of acting in intimate scenes for the film It Ends With Us. Both sources confirm that Lively’s allegations included physical gestures like kissing her forehead and comments such as ‘it smells good,’ but the judge ruled these were contextually justified as part of the creative process. The case stems from tensions after the film’s 2024 release, which grossed over $350 million globally, and includes allegations of a retaliatory campaign by Baldoni and his team to smear Lively’s reputation. While the Guardian highlights Baldoni’s legal team framing the case as a victory and references private messages between Lively and celebrities like Taylor Swift, ABC focuses more on specific on-set incidents, such as Baldoni’s comments about Lively’s appearance and his history with pornography. Both articles agree the trial will center on whether Baldoni and his associates engaged in retaliatory behavior after Lively’s public criticism of the film.
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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)
- Only three claims remain: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation (Guardian, ABC)
- Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee, so her sexual harassment claims under Title VII were invalid (Guardian, ABC)
- Judge Liman ruled that Justin Baldoni’s conduct was ‘acting in the scene’ during filming of It Ends With Us, including kissing her forehead, rubbing his face on her neck, and comments like ‘it smells good’ (Guardian, ABC)
- The trial is scheduled for May 18, 2025, in Manhattan (Guardian, ABC)
- It Ends With Us grossed over $350 million worldwide (Guardian) and had a $50 million US debut (ABC)
- Judge Liman dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in June 2024 (Guardian, ABC)
- Blake Lively’s lawyers allege Justin Baldoni and Jamey Heath launched a ‘retaliatory campaign’ to smear her after the film’s release (Guardian)
- Blake Lively’s lawsuit was filed in December 2024 (ABC)
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Bryan Freedman, Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, called the defendants ‘very good people’ and stated they ‘have not engaged in this sexual harassment as alleged’ (Guardian only)
- Blake Lively’s attorney Mike Gottlieb said the court’s ruling was about ‘legal technicalities’ rather than endorsing defendants’ conduct (Guardian only)
- Unsealed text messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift were referenced, with Lively calling Justin Baldoni the ‘doofus director of my movie’ (Guardian only)
- Judge Liman’s 152-page opinion explicitly detailed Lively’s allegations of Baldoni’s conduct, including ‘put[ting] his thumb to her mouth and flicked her lower lip’ (Guardian only)
- Baldoni and Jamey Heath hired a crisis PR team after rumors of a rift surfaced post-release (Guardian only)
- Judge Liman noted Justin Baldoni allegedly said ‘pretty hot’ after asking Blake Lively to remove her jacket, exposing a lace bra, and rolled his eyes when warned about inappropriate comments (ABC only)
- Baldoni allegedly volunteered that he had previously been addicted to pornography, and Lively said she had never seen pornography (ABC only)
- Baldoni pushed for a naked birth scene to be filmed without the set being closed to non-essential personnel (ABC only)
- A brief phone conference was held after Judge Liman’s ruling to discuss jury selection (ABC only)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian reports Justin Baldoni’s lawyer called the defendants ‘very good people’ and denied sexual harassment, while ABC does not include this direct quote from Baldoni’s legal team
- The Guardian mentions Blake Lively’s text messages to Taylor Swift and Ben Affleck as part of the case context, but ABC does not reference these messages
- The Guardian states Baldoni and Jamey Heath hired a crisis PR team after rumors of a rift emerged, while ABC does not mention this detail
- The Guardian notes that Lively’s claims must be viewed in the context of the film’s intimate scenes, but ABC does not explicitly emphasize this framing in the same way
- The Guardian includes a direct quote from Judge Liman’s 152-page opinion about Lively’s allegations of Baldoni’s conduct, while ABC summarizes it without the same level of detail
Source Articles
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