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A federal judge on Thursday dismissed most claims in Blake Lively\u2019s sexual harassment lawsuit against her \u201cIt Ends With Us\u201d director and co-star, Justin Baldoni, according to a court ruling.
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In a 152-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman tossed out 10 of Lively\u2019s 13 claims against Baldoni, including harassment, defamation and conspiracy. But he allowed three other claims to proceed to a trial scheduled to begin in May: breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting in retaliation.
Lively\u2019s lawyers said their client was \u201ckissed, nuzzled and touched\u201d without her consent. Baldoni was \u201cconsistently inappropriate\u201d and crossed \u201cboundaries\u201d on set, her lawyers argued.
Liman ruled that Lively\u2019s sexual harassment claims did not meet key legal requirements.
Lively also accused Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios production company of orchestrating a punitive \u201csmear campaign\u201d after she spoke out about the allegedly toxic work environment he created on the set of the movie, released in 2024.
Baldoni has denied Lively’s allegations. In a January court hearing, one of Baldoni\u2019s attorneys argued that Lively knew \u201cIt Ends With Us\u201d would feature \u201chot and sexy scenes\u201d when she signed on, suggesting that the allegations of harassment were part of the creative process behind the movie.
In a statement, a member of Lively\u2019s legal team said the actor \u201clooks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation so that it becomes easier to detect and fight.\u201d
\u201cThis case has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively\u2019s reputation because she stood up for safety on the set and that is the case that is going to trial,\u201d Sigrid McCawley said.
Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, two of Baldoni\u2019s attorneys, said they were \u201cpleased\u201d Liman dismissed the sexual harassment claims.
\u201cThese 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,\u201d Shapiro and Bach said. \u201cWhat\u2019s left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court.\u201d
\u201cIt Ends With Us,\u201d an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover, stars Lively as a flower shop owner whose husband, a neurosurgeon played by Baldoni, subjects her to physical and emotional abuse.
The case has reverberated across the entertainment industry, exposing private texts between A-listers and subjecting both sides in the legal battle to the broader culture war around sexual harassment.
Lively initially filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on Dec. 20, 2024, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. She then filed a federal lawsuit against him on Dec. 31, 2024.
In late February 2025, she filed an amended complaint against him, as well as his company, the firm\u2019s chief executive and other defendants. He filed a countersuit against her seeking $400 million, which a federal judge tossed out.
Lively\u2019s amended complaint, which sought compensatory and punitive damages, alleged that there was a \u201cmulti-tiered plan\u201d by Baldoni and his team to wreck her reputation.
Lively claimed that she lost $161 million because of a smear campaign that Baldoni\u2019s team orchestrated \u2014 an allegation his lawyers have denied.
In an early February hearing, Lively and Baldoni were \u201cunsuccessful in reaching any kind of resolution\u201d during a court-ordered settlement conference, Baldoni\u2019s attorney Bryan Freedman said at the time.
Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.
Daniel Arkin is a senior reporter at NBC News.
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