Judge dismisses most of Blake Lively's claims in harassment lawsuit against Baldoni

A federal judge has significantly narrowed Blake Lively's sexual harassment lawsuit against her "It Ends with Us" co-star Justin Baldoni, dismissing 10 of 13 original allegations while allowing three key claims to proceed to trial.

Judge Lewis Liman dismissed the majority of Lively's claims, including allegations of harassment and defamation, in a comprehensive 152-page ruling. The remaining three allegations—breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation—will advance to civil trial in New York on May 18.

The high-profile Hollywood legal dispute originated in 2024 when Lively filed suit against Baldoni, alleging harassment and a coordinated smear campaign during production of their film. Baldoni has denied all allegations and previously filed a counter-lawsuit against the actress.

Sigrid McCawley, representing Lively's legal team, confirmed to CBS that the case "has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy" Lively's reputation. McCawley emphasized that the sexual harassment claims were dismissed due to technical jurisdictional issues, "not because the defendants did nothing wrong."

Lively plans to testify at the upcoming trial and will continue efforts to "shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation," according to her legal representative.

Background of the Legal Dispute

The lawsuit stems from alleged incidents during production of "It Ends With Us," a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel. The story follows Lily Bloom, portrayed by Lively, as she navigates domestic abuse relationships—a narrative that mirrors her own family history.

Lively's legal team has accused Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of orchestrating a deliberate campaign to damage her reputation through social media manipulation and strategic media placements. These allegations were initially detailed in a New York Times article published prior to the formal lawsuit filing.

The actress filed her lawsuit against Wayfarer Studios in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment on set and subsequent retaliation for reporting these concerns.

Court's Legal Reasoning

Judge Liman provided detailed justification for dismissing the majority of allegations in his Thursday ruling. A primary factor in dismissing the harassment claims involved jurisdictional issues, as Lively filed under California law while filming occurred in New Jersey.

"None of these acts or occurrences provides the 'substantial connection' to California needed to sustain Lively's sexual harassment claims," Liman wrote in his opinion.

The judge also determined that Lively's status as an independent contractor rather than an employee prevented certain harassment and retaliation claims from proceeding under applicable employment law.

Regarding defamation claims against Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman, Liman ruled that statements made in direct response to court allegations were protected legal communications and therefore not actionable as defamation.

However, the judge acknowledged that while defendants were entitled to engage crisis management and public relations professionals, "certain conduct at least arguably crossed the line." This finding supports the retaliation claims that will proceed to trial, particularly allegations of a "coordinated campaign" to damage Lively's character and reputation.

Dismissed Counter-lawsuit

Baldoni's legal team previously filed a $400 million counter-lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, alleging civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. This action was dismissed by Judge Liman in June.

The counter-lawsuit claimed that Lively "stole the film" from Baldoni and Wayfarer by threatening to withdraw promotional support, while allegedly perpetuating false narratives about harassment and smear campaigns. Liman ruled that Baldoni's team failed to adequately demonstrate that Lively's actions constituted wrongful extortion rather than legitimate contract renegotiation.

The ongoing legal proceedings have generated significant media attention, with evidence reportedly including private communications between Lively and high-profile figures such as Taylor Swift regarding Baldoni.