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 in retaliation—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 the context of intimate scenes in the domestic violence film It Ends With Us. Judge Lewis Liman ruled that Baldoni’s behavior, including kissing Lively’s forehead and comments about her appearance, was likely part of acting improvisation rather than harassment. Both parties’ legal teams have framed the case differently: Baldoni’s lawyers emphasize legal technicalities and deny wrongdoing, while Lively’s team argues the court’s dismissal was procedural. The case has overshadowed the film’s success, with leaked texts and public disputes further damaging both stars’ reputations. The trial will now focus on Lively’s allegations of a retaliatory campaign against her after the movie’s release.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Federal judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims 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)
- 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, 2025 (Guardian, ABC)
- It Ends With Us grossed over $350 million globally and was released in August 2024 (Guardian, ABC)
- Judge Liman cited Lively’s claims that Baldoni kissed her forehead, rubbed his face against her neck, and said ‘it smells good’ during filming (Guardian, ABC)
- Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman called the defendants ‘very good people’ and denied sexual harassment claims (Guardian)
- Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim against Lively and Ryan Reynolds in June 2024 (Guardian, ABC)
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Lively’s leaked texts to Taylor Swift and Ben Affleck were unsealed, showing her calling Baldoni the ‘doofus director of my movie’ (Guardian only)
- Lively’s lawyers claimed Baldoni was ‘consistently inappropriate’ with her, including unwanted comments about her appearance and weight (Guardian only)
- Matthew Belloni, former entertainment lawyer, stated the case ‘hurts both of them’ due to prolonged mudslinging (Guardian only)
- Lively’s attorney Mike Gottlieb said the court’s ruling was about legal technicalities, not an endorsement of defendants’ conduct (Guardian only)
- Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman claimed the defendants ‘were not afraid of the truth’ and presented evidence repeatedly (Guardian only)
- Judge Liman noted Baldoni allegedly said ‘pretty hot’ after asking Lively to remove her jacket, exposing a lace bra (ABC only)
- Baldoni allegedly rolled his eyes and replied ‘Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training’ after being warned about comments (ABC only)
- Baldoni pushed for a naked birth scene filmed without set closure, and allegedly volunteered his past porn addiction (ABC only)
- Lively claimed Baldoni said she had ‘never seen pornography’ after discussing creative process (ABC only)
- Judge Liman said Baldoni’s conduct ‘may be fair grounds for discussion’ but could have crossed lines by announcing Lively’s porn inexperience (ABC only)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Guardian reports Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman claims defendants ‘have not engaged in this sexual harassment as alleged’ while ABC does not include this direct quote from Freedman
- Guardian states Lively’s leaked texts to Swift and Reynolds were unsealed in June 2024, but ABC does not mention this detail
- Guardian highlights Lively’s claims of Baldoni’s ‘kissing, nuzzling, and touching’ without consent as part of her broader allegations, while ABC focuses more on specific scripted/improvised scenes
- Guardian notes Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim was dismissed in June 2024, but ABC does not specify the exact amount or timing of dismissal
- ABC includes Judge Liman’s explicit mention of Baldoni’s ‘pretty hot’ comment and sexual harassment training joke, while Guardian does not detail these specific exchanges
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