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 in Manhattan dismissed the majority of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni, leaving only three retaliation and contract-related claims for trial on May 18. The ruling hinged on Lively’s status as an independent contractor, disqualifying her from bringing Title VII claims, and framed the alleged conduct—such as Baldoni’s physical gestures and comments—as part of improvisational acting for the domestic abuse drama It Ends With Us. While Judge Lewis Liman acknowledged the behavior could constitute harassment in other contexts, he ruled it was contextually justified within the film’s intimate scenes. Baldoni’s legal team celebrated the outcome, calling the defendants ‘very good people,’ while Lively’s attorney criticized the ruling as procedurally narrow. The case follows years of public discord, including countersuits over defamation and extortion, and has drawn attention to private exchanges between Lively and celebrities like Taylor Swift. The trial will now focus on Lively’s allegations of retaliatory campaigns against her, amid ongoing speculation about the impact of the litigation on both parties’ reputations.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A federal judge in Manhattan (Lewis Liman) dismissed 10 of 13 claims in Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, including sexual harassment, conspiracy, and defamation claims, leaving only three claims (retaliation, breach of contract, and aiding/abetting retaliation) for trial starting May 18, 2025.
- Judge Liman ruled Lively was an independent contractor—not an employee—so her sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act were invalid.
- Judge Liman cited that the alleged conduct (e.g., Baldoni leaning in, kissing Lively’s forehead, and comments like ‘it smells good’) occurred during filming of It Ends With Us and was part of acting improvisation, not harassment.
- Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios countersued Lively and Ryan Reynolds in 2024, alleging defamation and extortion, but their claims were dismissed by Judge Liman in June 2024.
- It Ends With Us, released in August 2024, grossed over $350 million worldwide and was adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel.
- Lively’s lawsuit was filed in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment during filming of It Ends With Us, while Baldoni’s legal team described Lively’s claims as unfounded and emphasized their clients’ ‘good people’ narrative.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Judge Liman’s ruling included specific details of alleged conduct: Baldoni allegedly kissed Lively’s forehead, rubbed his face against her neck, put his thumb to her mouth, and said ‘it smells good’ during filming.
- Lively’s lawsuit included 13 claims against Baldoni and other parties, with countersuits by Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios dismissed last June.
- Judge Liman noted Baldoni allegedly said ‘pretty hot’ after asking Lively to remove her jacket, exposing a lace bra, and later rolled his eyes when told it was inappropriate, replying ‘Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training.’
- The judge mentioned Baldoni allegedly pushed for a naked birth scene without proper set closure and volunteered his past pornography addiction, which Lively said she had never seen.
- A brief phone conference was held after the ruling to discuss jury selection for the May 18 trial.
- Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman stated the defendants were ‘very good people’ and that the court’s ruling confirmed their legal team’s belief from the start that the claims were baseless.
- Freedman emphasized the defendants ‘were not afraid of the truth’ and presented evidence to support their narrative.
- Lively’s attorney Mike Gottlieb criticized the ruling as based on ‘legal technicalities’ rather than endorsing defendants’ conduct, noting Lively was an independent contractor and claims occurred in New Jersey (not California).
- The Guardian referenced unsealed text messages between Lively and Taylor Swift, where Lively called Baldoni the ‘doofus director of my movie’ and asked for screenplay rewrite advice.
- The Guardian noted the case has overshadowed It Ends With Us’ success, with rumors of conflict surfacing after the film’s August 2024 release.
- Former entertainment lawyer Matthew Belloni commented that prolonged litigation ‘hurts both’ Lively and Baldoni, spreading mudslinging.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC reports Baldoni allegedly said ‘pretty hot’ after seeing Lively’s lace bra, but The Guardian does not mention this specific incident in its coverage.
- ABC states the judge dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim against Lively and Reynolds in June 2024, while The Guardian (Guardian 1) does not specify the amount but confirms the dismissal without the figure.
- ABC notes the film grossed $50 million (US) debut ($72 million total), while The Guardian (Guardian 2) states it grossed over $350 million worldwide—no other source confirms the $350M figure.
- The Guardian (Guardian 1) quotes Lively’s attorney calling the ruling a ‘legal technicality’ and criticizing Baldoni’s lawyer for claiming exoneration, while ABC does not include this direct quote or framing.
- ABC mentions the judge ruled the conduct occurred in New Jersey, but The Guardian (Guardian 1) does not specify the location of the alleged harassment beyond it being part of the film’s context.
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...