Actor Blake Lively’s legal battle against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni has hit a crucial setback. A judge has dismissed the bulk of her claims, including allegations of sexual harassment and defamation, marking a significant development in the ongoing dispute.
In a ruling issued Thursday, Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of the 13 claims in Blake Lively’s lawsuit, including claims of harassment, defamation, and conspiracy.
However, he allowed three claims to proceed to a trial, including claims of breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation. They will now go to a civil trial in New York on May 18.
The legal battle began in 2024 when Blake sued Justin, accusing him of harassment and a smear campaign on the set of their hit movie. He denied it and counter-sued. Blake accused Justin, the director and co-star, of sexually harassing her on the set of the film by making comments about her appearance and weight.
Liman ruled that Blake could not bring a sexual harassment claim under federal law because she was an independent contractor. He also ruled that she could not file a harassment claim under California law because the filming took place in New Jersey. She also alleged that Justin hired an army of publicists to retaliate against her by seeding and amplifying negative stories online. The judge ruled that two retaliation claims deserved to go to a jury.
“We’re very pleased the Court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants,” said attorneys Alexandria Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, who represent Justin, Wayfarer Studios, and their publicists.
“These were very serious allegations, and we are grateful to the court for its careful review of the facts, law, and voluminous evidence that was provided. What’s left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court.”
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