Justin Baldoni is somewhere cheering because the never-ending It Ends With Us legal drama just took a major shift. A federal judge has dismissed most of Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against her co-star and director – but not all of it.
In a lengthy ruling, the court threw out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims, including sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy, per NBC News. Still, three key claims are moving forward, which means this case is far from over.
What was dismissed
Lively originally alleged that Baldoni crossed serious boundaries on set, with her legal team claiming she was “kissed, nuzzled, and touched” without consent and that his behavior was “consistently inappropriate.”
But the judge ultimately ruled that those sexual harassment claims didn’t meet the legal threshold required to proceed in court.
Also dismissed were claims tied to defamation and conspiracy, which had centered around Lively’s accusation that Baldoni and his production company orchestrated a smear campaign against her after she spoke out.
What’s still moving forward
© AFP via Getty ImagesNot everything was shut down. Three claims are still alive and heading to trial: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation.
The judge said that there is “some direct evidence that the plan to destroy Lively and her career was put into action.” “The parties fiercely dispute the extent to which the backlash against Lively was ‘organic’ or ‘artificial,'” the judge wrote, “and which steps the Wayfarer Parties may have taken to protect themselves (versus which ones they may have taken to destroy Lively personally and her career). A jury can and should decide those questions.”
What both sides are saying
© GC ImagesLively’s camp is standing firm, doubling down on the idea that this case has always been about retaliation, not just what allegedly happened on set, but what happened after she spoke up. In a statement, her attorney made it clear they aren’t backing down, saying 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.”
“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,” Sigrid McCawley said.
On the other side, as noted by NBC, Baldoni’s legal team has argued that Lively was aware of the nature of the film when she signed on, pointing out that the project included intimate, “hot and sexy” scenes – suggesting her claims are being taken out of that context.
What does it mean next for the case
© Jose Perez/Bauer-GriffinThis isn’t over, it’s just narrower now. The trial is currently set for May 18, and instead of focusing on harassment claims, the spotlight will shift to retaliation and professional fallout.
That could mean a deeper dive into behind-the-scenes communication, more industry attention on how disputes are handled publicly, and potentially, more names and receipts entering the conversation.
The case has already pulled back the curtain on private exchanges after Judge Lewis Liman unsealed a massive trove of documents, including internal emails, voice memos, and text messages.
From a Sony executive calling the actress a “terrorist” to Lively’s 4-minute voice memo she sent to Baldoni, the release made for a media storm.
There were text messages between Lively and A-listers like Matt Damon and even Ben Affleck. But the ones that went the most viral were between her and her former bestie, Taylor Swift.
Now, with fewer claims but a clearer focus, the next phase could be even more revealing.
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