A judge has dismissed Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.
The ruling was handed down on Thursday (April 2), according to TMZ.
Lively's case was filed in 2024, which was tied to alleged incidents during the filming of It Ends With Us.
She had claimed Baldoni kissed her in a scene where it was not scripted, entered her trailer while she was breastfeeding, and that a producer showed her a video of his wife giving birth.
Lively also alleged that Baldoni made an offhand remark before filming a scene, supposedly saying, “Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training,” which he later described as a joke about the wardrobe.
Adding to these claims, Reuters reports that Lively officially complained that the defendants created a “sexually charged atmosphere” during production and schemed to silence her and others from speaking out about the hostile environment.
In response, Baldoni countered he had resolved her concerns as soon as they were raised, and that he was entitled to hire a crisis management firm after she began disparaging him publicly.
In dismissing the sexual harassment claims, the judge found that Lively had relied on a California sexual harrasment law even though the alleged conduct took place on a film set in New Jersey, ruling that the statute did not apply.
The judge also threw out Lively's defamation claim, which centered on statements made by Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, including accusations that she reportedly fabricated the allegations.
Her retaliation claims, however, remain in the case as Lively alleges Baldoni and his team sought to damage her reputation after she accused him of creating a hostile work environment.
Reuters clarifies that the judge is allowing Lively to pursue this retaliation claim specifically against Baldoni's production company, Wayfarer Studios, along with a contract claim and an aiding and abetting claim against various defendants.
The trial is scheduled to begin on May 18.
