On Thursday, a federal judge largely rejected most of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment allegations against Justin Baldoni, her director and co-star from “It Ends With Us,” according to a court decision.
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Within a 152-page judgment, Judge Lewis J. Liman rejected ten out of Lively’s thirteen accusations against Baldoni, which encompassed harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. However, the judge permitted three other allegations to advance to a trial set for May: breach of contract, retaliation, and complicity in retaliation.
According to Lively’s legal team, their client experienced unwanted “kissing, nuzzling, and touching.” Her attorneys contended that Baldoni acted “persistently inappropriately” and overstepped “boundaries” during filming.
Lively further alleged that Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, orchestrated a retaliatory “smear campaign” after she raised concerns about the purportedly hostile work environment he fostered on the set of the film, which premiered in 2024.
During a court hearing in January, an attorney for Baldoni claimed that Lively was aware “It Ends With Us” would include “intimate and suggestive scenes” upon signing her contract, implying the harassment allegations stemmed from the film’s creative development.
“It Ends With Us,” a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, casts Lively as a florist whose spouse, a neurosurgeon portrayed by Baldoni, inflicts both physical and emotional mistreatment upon her.
This legal dispute has sent shockwaves throughout the entertainment sector, bringing to light private communications between prominent figures and positioning both parties within the larger societal debate surrounding sexual harassment.
Neither actor’s representatives provided an immediate response when asked for comment regarding the judge’s decision.
Lively first lodged a formal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on December 20, 2024, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation by Baldoni. Subsequently, on December 31, 2024, she initiated a federal civil lawsuit against him.
Later in February, she submitted an updated complaint, naming him, his company, its chief executive, and additional defendants. Baldoni, in turn, filed a counter-claim seeking $400 million from her, although a federal judge ultimately dismissed his case.
Lively’s revised complaint, seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, contended that Baldoni and his associates had devised a “multi-layered strategy” to damage her professional standing.
Lively asserted that she incurred a loss of $161 million as a result of a defamation campaign orchestrated by Baldoni’s team, an accusation his attorneys have refuted.
During a settlement conference mandated by the court in early February, Lively and Baldoni “failed to achieve any form of agreement,” according to Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman.