Judge Dismisses Most Claims in Lively Suit Against Baldoni

A federal judge in New York dismissed most claims in actress Blake Lively's lawsuit against her "It Ends With Us" co-star and director Justin Baldoni on Thursday, ruling out allegations of sexual harassment while allowing retaliation claims to proceed to trial.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan came in a 152-page ruling that eliminated 10 of Lively's 13 claims from her December 2024 complaint. The surviving counts include breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation. Lively had accused Baldoni of creating a hostile work environment during filming, including an unscripted kiss, entering her trailer while she was breastfeeding, showing her a video of his wife giving birth, making comments about her appearance and weight, and joking about missing sexual harassment training. The judge found that California law, under which Lively brought the harassment claims, did not apply because the production took place in New Jersey. Additionally, the judge determined that key agreements Lively cited, such as an actor loanout agreement intended to address harassment, were unenforceable since she had not signed them after negotiations stalled.