Actor Blake Lively's legal battle against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni has hit a crucial setback. A judge has dismissed the bulk of her claims, including allegations of sexual harassment and defamation, marking a significant development in the ongoing dispute.
Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of the 13 claims in Blake Lively's lawsuit, including claims of harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. However, he allowed three claims to proceed to a trial, including claims of breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation.
The legal battle began in 2024 when Blake sued Justin, accusing him of harassment and a smear campaign on the set of their hit movie. He denied it and counter-sued. Blake accused Justin of sexually harassing her on the set of the film by making comments about her appearance and weight.
Liman ruled that Blake could not bring a sexual harassment claim under federal law because she was an independent contractor. He also ruled that she could not file a harassment claim under California law because the filming took place in New Jersey.
Blake also alleged that Justin hired an army of publicists to retaliate against her by seeding and amplifying negative stories online. The judge ruled that two retaliation claims deserved to go to a jury.
Justin's lawyers expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating that the remaining claims were significantly narrowed. Blake's legal team, however, vowed to continue the case, focusing on the allegations of retaliatory smear campaign.
