Even after a judge dismissed most of the claims she filed against Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively says she still plans to testify at trial next month in their long-running legal battle.
On Thursday, April 2, Judge Lewis J. Liman threw out 10 of the 13 claims Lively brought against Baldoni and several other defendants tied to the making of It Ends with Us. The dismissed claims included sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy.
However, according to People, the judge allowed several other allegations—including retaliation, breach of contract, and aiding-and-abetting claims involving Baldoni’s company, Wayfarer Studios—to move forward.
“This case has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively’s reputation because she stood up for safety on the set,” attorney Sigrid McCawley said in a statement released after the ruling.
McCawley added that Lively “looks 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.”
The judge did not dismiss the sexual harassment claims based on a finding that the alleged conduct never occurred. Instead, the ruling focused on legal issues, including which laws applied and Lively’s status as an independent contractor. Lively relied on a California workplace harassment statute, but the incidents she described allegedly occurred while filming in New Jersey.
Judge Liman ruled that the California law could not apply because Lively was working as an independent contractor rather than an employee.
“Sexual harassment isn’t going forward, not because the defendants did nothing wrong, but because the court determined Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee,” McCawley said.
Lively first sued Baldoni in December 2024 after months of public fallout surrounding the release of It Ends with Us. In her complaint, she accused Baldoni of creating what she described as a “sexually charged atmosphere” on set.
Among her allegations were claims that Baldoni improvised a kiss during a scene, entered her trailer while she was breastfeeding, and made an inappropriate joke before filming by saying, “Sorry, I missed the sexual harassment training.”
Baldoni has repeatedly denied those allegations. His legal team has argued that concerns raised by Lively were addressed at the time and that he was justified in hiring a crisis-management firm after she allegedly began criticizing him publicly.
The case has only grown more complicated in recent months as unsealed text messages and deposition testimony have continued to surface. In one December 2023 text to his former agent, Baldoni claimed Lively was “setting me up for a trap” during disputes over intimate scenes and the use of body doubles.
He also described an increasingly tense working relationship, saying he was giving Lively “95%” of what she wanted “for peace.”
Other newly released material has added to the pressure on Baldoni. Text messages from Jenny Slate, who appeared in the film, described the production as “really gross and disturbing.”
Baldoni previously filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, but that case was dismissed last year. A court-ordered settlement conference in February failed to produce a deal, leaving both sides headed toward trial.
