Judge Dismisses Blake Lively’s Sexual Harassment Claims Against Justin Baldoni — But Their Legal Battle Is Far From Over

Summary

• A federal judge dismissed 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims against Justin Baldoni, including all sexual harassment counts, just one month before trial.
• The judge ruled Lively was an independent contractor — not an employee — meaning she couldn’t bring harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
• Three claims survive — retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of contract — and a jury trial is still set for May 18.

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A federal judge handed Justin Baldoni a significant legal win Thursday, dismissing Blake Lively‘s sexual harassment claims just one month before their high-profile trial is set to begin.

In a sweeping 152-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman tossed out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. The decision comes after more than a year of very public, very messy litigation between the former It Ends With Us co-stars — and it’s a lot to unpack.

The case isn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Three claims survived the ruling and are headed to a jury trial scheduled for May 18: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation. Worth noting: Baldoni is not a defendant in any of the remaining claims — one claim against his production company, Wayfarer, remains.

So how did the sexual harassment claims get dismissed? It essentially came down to a technicality. Judge Liman determined that Lively was an independent contractor rather than an employee, meaning she was not entitled to bring sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — the law that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of gender.

Lively’s team was quick to frame that distinction as the crux of the dismissal — not a vindication for Baldoni.

“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,” said Sigrid McCawley, one of Lively’s attorneys.

McCawley wasn’t done. “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, and that is the case that is going to trial,” she said.

The judge’s ruling also got into some uncomfortable territory around what counts as harassment on a film set. The judge noted specific allegations — that during filming, Baldoni kissed Lively’s forehead, rubbed his face and mouth against her neck, put his thumb to her mouth, flicked her lower lip, and leaned into her neck saying “it smells good” — but found that the conduct had to be viewed in the context of the movie they were making.

The judge concluded that Baldoni was, at least in the relevant moments, “acting in the scene.” “Creative artists, no less than comedy room writers, must have some amount of space to experiment within the bounds of an agreed script without fear of being held liable for sexual harassment,” Liman wrote. Baldoni’s side, naturally, was pleased.

“We’re very pleased the Court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants: Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel. These 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,” read a statement from Baldoni’s attorneys Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach.

They added: “What’s left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defense.”

This whole saga kicked off in December 2024, when Lively initially filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation, then followed up with a federal lawsuit. Lively’s legal team alleged Baldoni was “kissed, nuzzled and touched” without her consent and was “consistently inappropriate” and crossed “boundaries” on set.

Lively also claimed that there was a “multi-tiered plan” by Baldoni and his team to wreck her reputation, and that she lost $161 million because of a smear campaign his team orchestrated — an allegation his lawyers have denied.

Baldoni fought back with a $400 million countersuit against Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging the couple “hijacked” his film and attempted to destroy his career — a lawsuit a federal judge dismissed last June.

In an early February hearing, Lively and Baldoni were “unsuccessful in reaching any kind of resolution” during a court-ordered settlement conference, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman said at the time.

The trial is still on. Lively’s team made clear she’s ready. A member of her legal team said the actor “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.”

That testimony is now just weeks away.