A federal judge has thrown out actress Blake Lively’s sexual harassment allegations in her legal battle against actor and director Justin Baldoni, significantly narrowing her lawsuit concerning their 2024 romantic film “It Ends With Us.”
U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued a 152-page ruling on Thursday after over a year of contentious legal proceedings related to the movie, in which Lively and Baldoni starred together, with Baldoni directing. Lively’s attorney, Esra Hudson, claimed during a court session in January that Baldoni had overstepped boundaries by adding unnecessary sexual content that deviated from the script.
Hudson asserted that Baldoni’s actions included a dance scene where he inappropriately interacted with Lively without her consent and a birthing scene where Lively was pressured to wear minimal clothing and simulate nudity. Judge Liman observed that Baldoni’s alleged behavior seemed to be aimed at Lively’s character in the scenes rather than directly at Lively herself.
The judge emphasized that creative professionals should have some freedom to experiment within the confines of an agreed-upon script without the fear of facing sexual harassment claims. Liman indicated that Lively could still argue before a jury that Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, retaliated against her after she raised concerns about misconduct on the film set.
Lively’s legal team, led by Sigrid McCawley, expressed her anticipation for testifying and demonstrating the actions taken to tarnish her reputation because she spoke out against safety issues on the set. In response to the dismissal of the sexual harassment claims, Baldoni’s lawyers, Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, stated that they were pleased and looked forward to presenting their defense against the remaining claims, including retaliation and breach of contract.
The upcoming trial, scheduled for May 18, will focus on the narrowed scope of the case, with Lively seeking to prove that her career prospects were negatively impacted through alleged retaliatory actions by the defendants. The ongoing legal battle, which has attracted attention from various celebrities and industry insiders, originated from Lively’s accusations of a hostile work environment during the movie’s production.
Despite the dismissal of the sexual harassment claims, the legal dispute between Lively and Baldoni continues with the trial set to address the remaining allegations, shedding light on the complex dynamics within the entertainment industry.