A federal judge on Thursday dismissed most claims in Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against her “It Ends With Us” director and co-star Justin Baldoni, according to a court ruling.
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Judge Lewis Liman tossed out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including harassment, defamation and conspiracy. But he allowed three other claims to proceed to trial: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation.
Lively’s lawyers said their client was “kissed, nuzzled and touched” without her consent. Baldoni was “consistently inappropriate” and crossed “boundaries” on set, Lively’s lawyers argued.
Lively also accused Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios production company of orchestrating a punitive “smear campaign” after she spoke out about the allegedly toxic work environment he created on the set of the movie, released in 2024.
In a January court hearing, one of Baldoni’s attorneys argued that Lively knew “It Ends With Us” would feature “hot and sexy scenes” when she signed on, suggesting that the allegations of harassment were part of the creative process behind the movie.
“It Ends With Us,” 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.
Representatives for the two actors did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the judge’s ruling.
A hearing is expected to take place on Thursday afternoon over Zoom at 5 p.m. ET.
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 civil lawsuit against him on Dec. 31, 2024.
In late February, she filed an amended complaint against him as well as his company, the firm’s chief executive and other defendants. He filed a countersuit against her seeking $400 million, though a federal judge tossed that case.