Judge Dismisses Most of Blake Lively’s Claims Against Justin Baldoni — But the Legal Battle Isn’t Over
A federal judge in New York has dismissed most of Blake Lively’s claims against Justin Baldoni in their high-profile legal dispute over It Ends With Us.
Judge Lewis Liman rejected 10 of Lively’s 13 claims, including her sexual harassment and defamation claims. However, several claims involving alleged retaliation and breach of contract were allowed to proceed.
The judge ruled that Lively was an independent contractor rather than an employee, meaning she could not pursue her sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He also considered the context of the romantic scenes being filmed when evaluating the alleged conduct.
Lively’s legal team emphasized that the dismissal did not establish that the defendants had done nothing wrong. Her remaining case focuses on allegations of retaliation and an effort to damage her reputation, which the defendants have denied.
Baldoni’s lawyers welcomed the ruling, saying the case had been significantly narrowed and that they looked forward to defending the remaining claims.
The trial was scheduled to begin May 18, 2026, according to the reports.
Despite the major legal setback for Lively, the dispute is far from resolved.
Which side do you think will have the stronger case when the remaining claims go to trial?