Judge Dismisses Majority of Claims in Blake Lively Lawsuit

A federal judge has dismissed most of the claims filed by Blake Lively in her lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. The ruling reduces the scope of the case and allows only a few allegations to move forward to trial.

Judge Lewis Liman struck out 10 of the 13 claims Lively filed against Baldoni and parties linked to his production company, Wayfarer Studios. The court dismissed claims of sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. However, it allowed claims tied to breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding retaliation to proceed.

Court Narrows Scope of Case

In his ruling, Judge Liman explained that Lively’s status as an independent contractor shaped the outcome. Because she did not qualify as an employee, she could not pursue her sexual harassment claim under Title VII. The law applies only to employer-employee relationships.

The judge also addressed claims about alleged inappropriate conduct during filming. He stated that even if Baldoni improvised certain actions, the behavior did not clearly go beyond what a scripted scene might require. The court found that the actions appeared directed at the fictional role, not at Lively personally.

However, the case is still active. The court has scheduled the trial to begin on May 18. Lively’s legal team confirmed that she will testify. They also said she will continue to pursue the remaining claims. In addition, her team stressed her focus on claims of online retaliation linked to the dispute.

The conflict began in late 2024. At that time, Lively publicly accused Baldoni of creating a difficult work environment during the production of It Ends With Us. She claimed that comments about her body and weight contributed to a hostile atmosphere on set.

Furthermore, Lively alleged that Baldoni and his associates carried out a campaign to harm her reputation online after she raised concerns. Baldoni denied the claims and insisted that social media reactions developed on their own without coordination.

As the case grew, it drew attention from other public figures. Baldoni filed a 400 million dollar countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. He accused them of defamation and extortion. However, the court dismissed that countersuit in mid 2025.

In addition, the dispute reached into the music world. Singer Taylor Swift, a close friend of Lively, became involved when Baldoni tried to subpoena her. Parts of private messages later surfaced during court proceedings. This development brought more public attention to the case.

Even with many claims dismissed, the lawsuit remains far from resolved. Both sides continue to prepare for trial. The remaining claims could still shape the outcome and influence public opinion.

For now, the judge’s decision limits the legal arguments each side can present. Still, the case continues to draw interest as new details emerge and the trial date approaches.