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, narrowing her lawsuit to three remaining claims: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding/abetting retaliation. The case stems from the 2024 film It Ends With Us, where Lively alleged Baldoni made unwanted advances, including kissing her forehead and commenting on her appearance, while filming intimate scenes. Judge Lewis Liman ruled Lively was an independent contractor—not an employee—so her sexual harassment claims under Title VII were invalid. Baldoni’s legal team dismissed the allegations, calling the defendants ‘very good people,’ while Lively’s lawyers argued the ruling was based on legal technicalities. The trial is set for May 18, 2024, following failed mediation. The case has overshadowed the film’s success, which grossed over $350 million, and exposed private messages between Lively and celebrities like Taylor Swift. Both sides have countersued, with Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim against Lively and Ryan Reynolds previously dismissed.
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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 in a ruling on 18 April 2024, leaving only breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding/abetting retaliation claims for trial
- The trial is scheduled to begin on 18 May 2024 in Manhattan, New York, after mediation failed
- Judge Liman ruled that Blake Lively was an independent contractor—not an employee—on the set of It Ends With Us, thus disqualifying her from bringing sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios countersued Lively and Ryan Reynolds in June 2023, alleging defamation and extortion, but Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim against them last June
- It Ends With Us, released in August 2024, grossed over $350 million worldwide and was adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel
- Blake Lively’s lawyers alleged Baldoni made unwanted comments about her appearance and weight, kissed her forehead, and said ‘it smells good’ while filming
- Judge Liman cited Baldoni’s alleged comment ‘pretty hot’ after asking Lively to remove her jacket, exposing a lace bra, as part of the sexual harassment context
- Blake Lively’s unsealed text messages to Taylor Swift (2023) called Baldoni the ‘doofus director of my movie’ and sought script rewrite feedback
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Blake Lively’s lawyers claimed Baldoni was ‘consistently inappropriate’ with her, including ‘kissed, nuzzled and touched’ her without consent
- Judge Liman dismissed Lively’s two claims of emotional distress against Baldoni in June 2023
- Matthew Belloni (former entertainment lawyer) stated in 2023: ‘The longer this goes on and the more mud that’s slung at each other, it really hurts both of them’
- Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman described defendants as ‘very good people who have not engaged in this sexual harassment as alleged’
- Lively’s attorney Mike Gottlieb said the court’s ruling was ‘about legal issues rather than an endorsement of the defendants’ conduct’
- Judge Liman’s ruling included a detailed description of Lively’s allegations: Baldoni ‘leaned in and gestured as if he was intending to kiss her,’ ‘rubbed his face and mouth against her neck,’ and ‘put his thumb to her mouth and flicked her lower lip’
- Baldoni allegedly responded to criticism of his comment ‘pretty hot’ by saying ‘Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training’
- Judge Liman noted Baldoni’s alleged discussion of his past pornography addiction and Lively’s claim she had never seen pornography
- Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios countersued Lively and Ryan Reynolds for defamation and extortion, with Baldoni’s $400 million claim dismissed last June
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian reports Baldoni’s lawyer claims defendants are ‘very good people’ who did not sexually harass Lively, while Lively’s attorney says the court’s ruling was not an endorsement of their conduct
- ABC describes Baldoni’s alleged comment ‘pretty hot’ as part of a ‘distracting’ and ‘inappropriate’ context, but the Guardian does not explicitly repeat this detail
- The Guardian states Lively’s emotional distress claims were dismissed in June 2023, while ABC does not mention this specific dismissal date or claim type
- ABC includes Judge Liman’s explicit note that Baldoni’s conduct was ‘acting in the scene’ and ‘directed to Lively’s character,’ but the Guardian does not quote this phrasing verbatim
- The Guardian mentions Lively’s text messages to Ben Affleck as part of her private messages, while ABC does not reference Affleck in this context
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