Most of Blake Lively’s Sexual Harassment Claims Thrown Out By Judge in Pivotal Move Against the Actress
- Chinyere Ibeh
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Lively’s sexual harassment case against her former co-star and director is hit with major setback.
A federal judge in the Southern District of New York officially ruled on Justin Baldoni’s bid to end the case, dealing a blow to Blake Lively’s lawsuit against the director.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims, including harassment, defamation and conspiracy. Judge Liman’s ruling allows for a narrower set of allegations, including breach of contract and two retaliation-related claims, to continue to the May 18 trial date.
He wrote that certain claims could not proceed as a matter of law, notably those dependent on Lively being classified as an employee. Other claims, specifically her retaliation-related allegations, were sufficiently supported and allowed to proceed to trial.
Baldoni’s legal team, led by Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, made a statement to the Daily Mail in support of Judge Liman’s ruling.
“We’re very pleased the court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants,” they told the publication. “These are very serious allegations, and we are grateful to the Court for its careful review of the facts, law and extensive evidence.”
Sigrid McCawley, a member of Lively’s legal team, also spoke out following Judge Liman’s ruling.
”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,” McCawley said.
Lively later took to social media to break her silence on Judge Liman’s ruling, noting that she won’t stop fighting to expose the systems and those who aim to silence victims. She later explains the reasoning behind bringing forth the lawsuit against Baldoni and the other defendants.
“The last thing I wanted in my life was a lawsuit, but I brought this case because of the pervasive RETALIATION I faced, and continue to, for privately and professionally asking for a safe working environment for myself and others,” Lively wrote.
She would post various quotes from the ruling that appear to affirm her versions of things:
The legal battle between former “It Ends With Us” co-stars began in December 2024 when Lively initially filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, producer Jamey Heath, Wayfarer Studios, its co-founder Steve Sarowitz, publicist Jennifer Abel, and crisis publicist Melissa Nathan.
She alleges Baldoni not only subjected her to sexual harassment, but he orchestrated a retaliatory smear campaign alongside the other defendants to destroy her reputation.
Lively seeks more than $160 million in damages as Baldoni denies the claims. So much so that he filed a $400 million counter suit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloan and Sloane’s PR firm.
Baldoni alleged defamation and breach of contract, though his case was dismissed in June 2025.
A court-mandated conference happened in February where both sides attempted to come to an agreement. They all left the meeting with no agreement, leading to taking the legal battle to court.
Prior to the February conference, Lively and Baldoni recounted two different versions of what happened on set.
For one, Baldoni argued that Lively failed to meet the legal standard needed to prove harassment — calling the allegations “small potatoes.” His attorney, Jonathan Bach, argued that Lively and Baldoni’s dispute stemmed from creative disagreements rather than unlawful conduct.
”This is a case about making a movie, one with highly charged romantic and sexual themes,” Bach said. He noted the presence of an intimacy coordinator on set.
Lively’s attorney, Esra Hudson, countered that Baldoni’s behavior was inappropriate and consistently crossed boundaries, alleging that Baldoni introduced sexualized material not in the script.
Hudson also argued that the “Gossip Girl” actress faced retaliation after raising concerns, including the time she declined to take photos with Baldoni.
The case will proceed to trial in May, allowing Lively to present her case in a more narrow scope.