Blake Lively has spoken out publicly for the first time after a federal judge dismissed the majority of her claims against “It Ends With Us” director and co-star Justin Baldoni. On Thursday, Judge Lewis Liman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed 10 of the 13 claims in Lively’s civil suit, which she filed in December 2024. The decision leaves three allegations still standing—breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation—which are now headed to trial on May 18 in New York City.
Lively’s attorney, Sigrid McCawley, issued a strong statement after the ruling, saying the case was far from over. “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,” McCawley told Daily Mail. “That is the case that is going to trial.”
McCawley emphasized that the remaining claims still address serious misconduct and that Lively feels vindicated by the exposure of online attacks linked to her allegations. “For Blake Lively, the greatest measure of justice is that the people and the playbook behind these coordinated digital attacks have been exposed and are already being held accountable by other women they’ve targeted,” McCawley said. “She 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 statement also pointed out that the sexual harassment claims were dismissed not on the merits of the allegations, but due to a contractual technicality. “Sexual harassment isn’t going forward not because the defendants did nothing wrong,” McCawley wrote, “but because the court determined Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee.”
Baldoni’s Legal Team Responds
Attorneys Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach expressed their satisfaction with the court’s decision in favor of their client, Baldoni. The ruling resulted in the dismissal of all sexual harassment claims and every claim against the individual defendants, which included Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel.
“We’re very pleased the Court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants,” they said in a statement. “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.”
© Getty ImagesAdding: “What’s left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court.”
Judge’s Ruling
Judge Liman’s 152-page decision stated that several contracts cited by Lively in her lawsuit were unenforceable because she never signed them. This included the essential Actor Loanout Agreement (ALA), which would have addressed critical matters such as sexual harassment on the set. “It is clear that the ALA is not and has never been a validly formed and binding contract,” Judge Liman wrote, adding that the production company “unambiguously expressed an intent not to be bound absent a fully executed and signed agreement.”
Lively’s initial allegations against Baldoni included several instances of alleged professional boundary-crossing: she claimed he unscriptedly kissed her during a scene, entered her trailer while she was breastfeeding, and showed her a video of a producer’s wife giving birth.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesWhile the court has dismissed most of her claims, the case is still poised to go to trial this spring, with both sides preparing for what is expected to be one of Hollywood’s most closely watched legal showdowns of the year.
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