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 the film It Ends With Us. The judge cited specific incidents, including Baldoni kissing Lively’s forehead, rubbing his face on her neck, and comments like ‘it smells good,’ but ruled these were ‘acting in the scene’ rather than harassment. Both sides’ lawyers framed the ruling differently: Baldoni’s team called it vindication, while Lively’s attorney emphasized legal technicalities. The case has exposed private exchanges between Lively and celebrities like Taylor Swift, and Baldoni’s alleged comments about pornography and Lively’s body were highlighted as potential boundary-crossing moments. The trial will focus on whether Baldoni orchestrated a retaliatory campaign against Lively after the film’s release.
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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 (Guardian, ABC)
- Justin Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman called the defendants ‘very good people’ who did not engage in sexual harassment (Guardian)
- Blake Lively’s lawyer Mike Gottlieb stated the court’s ruling was about legal technicalities, not an endorsement of defendants’ conduct (Guardian)
- 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)
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Bryan Freedman stated the defendants were ‘not afraid of the truth’ and presented evidence repeatedly (Guardian)
- Blake 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 detailed Lively’s allegations of Baldoni’s conduct, including ‘put[ting] his thumb to her mouth and flick[ing] her lower lip’ (Guardian)
- Blake Lively’s attorney Mike Gottlieb emphasized the court’s ruling was ‘about legal issues rather than an endorsement of the defendants’ conduct’ (Guardian)
- The case has ‘lifted the lid on Blake Lively’s private messages to other A-listers’ (Guardian)
- Baldoni and Jamey Heath hired a crisis PR team after rumors of a rift surfaced post-release (Guardian)
- Judge Liman noted Justin Baldoni allegedly said ‘pretty hot’ after asking Blake 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 about his comments (ABC)
- Baldoni pushed for a naked birth scene filmed over hours without proper set closure (ABC)
- Baldoni allegedly volunteered he had previously been addicted to pornography, and Lively said she had never seen pornography (ABC)
- Judge Liman cited that Baldoni’s comments about Lively’s lack of porn exposure ‘might have crossed the line’ when announced to others (ABC)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Guardian states Blake Lively’s claims were dismissed due to her being an independent contractor, while ABC does not explicitly state this as a primary reason for dismissal beyond Judge Liman’s ruling
- Guardian mentions Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman calling the defendants ‘very good people’ in a separate statement to TMZ, but ABC does not reference this specific quote or TMZ
- Guardian reports Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim was dismissed in June 2024, while ABC states it was dismissed ‘last June’ without specifying the month
- Guardian includes leaked text messages between Lively and Taylor Swift as part of the case context, but ABC does not mention these messages
- Guardian states the trial is set for 18 May 2025, while ABC states it is set for May 18 without specifying the year (though context implies 2025)
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