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/abetting retaliation—for 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 the context of intimate scenes in the film It Ends With Us. Judge Lewis Liman ruled that Baldoni’s behavior, including kissing Lively’s forehead and rubbing his face against her neck, was part of acting rather than harassment. Both parties have accused each other of misconduct, with Baldoni’s team calling Lively’s claims baseless and her lawyers arguing the court’s dismissal was procedural. The case has overshadowed the film’s success, which grossed over $350 million globally, and exposed private messages between Lively and celebrities like Taylor Swift. While most claims were dismissed, the remaining allegations of retaliatory campaigns and contract breaches will proceed to trial, highlighting ongoing tensions between the two stars.
✓ 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)
- Only three claims remain: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding/abetting retaliation (Guardian, ABC)
- Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni in December 2023 alleging sexual harassment during filming of It Ends With Us (Guardian, ABC)
- Judge Liman ruled Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee, so her sexual harassment claims under Title VII were invalid (Guardian, ABC)
- The trial is scheduled for May 18, 2024 (Guardian, ABC)
- It Ends With Us grossed over $350 million worldwide (Guardian) and had a $50 million US debut (ABC)
- Judge Liman cited Lively’s claims of Baldoni leaning in, kissing her forehead, rubbing his face against her neck, and saying ‘it smells good’ as part of the film’s intimate scenes (Guardian, ABC)
- Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman described defendants as ‘very good people’ who did not engage in sexual harassment (Guardian)
- Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim against Lively and Ryan Reynolds in June 2023 (Guardian, ABC)
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman stated defendants were ‘not afraid of the truth’ and presented evidence repeatedly (Guardian)
- Lively’s attorney Mike Gottlieb called the court’s ruling on sexual harassment claims ‘about legal issues rather than an endorsement of defendants’ conduct’ (Guardian)
- Lively’s leaked text messages to Taylor Swift and Ben Affleck were referenced, with Swift allegedly replying ‘I’ll do anything for you’ (Guardian)
- Judge Liman’s 152-page opinion explicitly analyzed the context of the film’s intimate scenes (Guardian)
- Lively’s attorney said the court’s ruling was based on ‘legal technicalities’ while facing trial on retaliation (Guardian)
- Baldoni and Jamey Heath hired a crisis PR team after rumors of a rift surfaced post-release (Guardian)
- Judge Liman noted Baldoni allegedly said ‘pretty hot’ after asking Lively to remove her jacket, exposing a lace bra (ABC)
- Baldoni allegedly rolled his eyes and responded ‘Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training’ after being warned (ABC)
- Baldoni pushed for a naked birth scene filmed without set closure, and allegedly volunteered he had been addicted to pornography (ABC)
- Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios countersued Lively and Ryan Reynolds for defamation and extortion (ABC)
- Judge Liman said Baldoni’s comment about Lively never seeing pornography ‘might have crossed the line’ (ABC)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian mentions Lively’s lawsuit was filed in December 2023, but ABC states it began in 2024 (likely a typo in ABC)
- The Guardian reports Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim was dismissed in June 2023, while ABC states it was dismissed in June (no year specified)
- The Guardian states Lively’s claims were dismissed due to her being an independent contractor, but ABC does not explicitly mention this as a primary reason for dismissal
- The Guardian highlights Lively’s leaked texts to Taylor Swift and Ben Affleck as part of the case context, while ABC does not mention these texts
- The Guardian reports Baldoni’s lawyer described the defendants as ‘very good people’ in a statement to AP and TMZ, while ABC does not reference these statements
Source Articles
Judge dismisses Lively's sexual harassment claims against Baldoni
A US federal court judge tosses out Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, but leaves three more claims intact....
Justin Baldoni’s lawyer says defendants are ‘very good people’ as Blake Lively lawsuit narrows
Judge threw out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against her It Ends With Us director and co-star on Thursday as trial nears Justin Baldoni’s lawyers have responded after most of Blake Lively ’s claims agains...
Federal judge throws out most of Blake Lively’s claims against Justin Baldoni
Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including claim of sexual harassment Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A federal judge...