Court rejects Blake Lively’s harassment charges against Justin Baldoni
Actor Blake Lively has lost most of her legal claims against her “It Ends With Us” co-star and director Justin Baldoni. A judge dismissed the majority of her allegations, including sexual harassment and defamation.
On Thursday, Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of the 13 claims in Blake’s lawsuit. The dismissed claims included harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. Three claims will continue to trial: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation. The trial is set for May 18 in New York.
Blake filed the lawsuit in 2024, accusing Justin of sexual harassment and running a smear campaign against her on the set of “It Ends With Us”. Justin denied the allegations and filed a counter-suit.
The judge ruled Blake could not bring a sexual harassment claim under federal law because she was an independent contractor. He also said she could not file a harassment claim under California law because the filming took place in New Jersey.
Blake also claimed that Justin hired publicists to spread negative stories about her online. Two of these retaliation claims will go to a jury.
Justin’s attorneys, Alexandria Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, said they were pleased the court dismissed the sexual harassment claims. They said the case is now “significantly narrowed” and that they look forward to defending the remaining claims in court.
Blake’s legal team said the trial will focus on retaliation and damage to her reputation. Sigrid McCawley, one of her lawyers, said, “She looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation.”
The dispute began on the set of “It Ends With Us”, a film about a woman who experiences domestic abuse. Blake’s team claimed Justin and his studio, Wayfarer, tried to damage her reputation through social media and journalists. Justin’s team said Blake exaggerated minor issues to control the film and portray him as a villain.
A mediation session in February did not lead to a settlement.
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