The “It Ends With Us” costars are due in court in May.

Judge dismisses sexual harassment claims from Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni

The "It Ends With Us" costars are due in court in May.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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on April 3, 2026 11:20 a.m. ET

Blake Lively; Justin Baldoni. Credit:

Ian West/PA Images via Getty; Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

- A judge threw out 10 of the 13 claims in Blake Lively's lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, a win for the actor-director in the ongoing legal saga.

- The claims that the judge allowed to move forward are claims of breach of contract, one claim of retaliation in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and aiding and abetting in retaliation in violation of FEHA.

- Baldoni and Lively are due back in court in May.

A judge has thrown out 10 of the 13 claims in Blake Lively's lawsuit against her *It Ends With Us* costar and director, Justin Baldoni.

The latest chapter of the the ongoing legal saga comes as a win for Baldoni.

On Thursday, Judge Lewis Liman of the Southern District of New York dismissed most of the claims Lively made against Baldoni in the bombshell lawsuit, including claims of sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy, according to court documents obtained by **.

The allegations that the judge allowed to move forward for the trial, set for May, are claims of breach of contract, one claim of retaliation in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and aiding and abetting in retaliation in violation of FEHA.**

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in 'It Ends With Us'.

Sigrid McCawley, member of Lively’s legal team, told **: “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."

The statement continued, "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. 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.”

McCawley concluded, “Sexual harassment isn’t going forward not because the defendants did nothing wrong but because the court determined Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee.”

Baldoni's lead attorney, Bryan Freeman, responded to the judge's decision to toss out Lively's harassment claims in a statement to EW on Friday morning.

"Since the first day of this case, when Justin and the other defendants were blindsided by these allegations, the legal team on the ground from the beginning have worked extremely long days and nights defending this case through transparency by releasing the actual truthful text messages, and by welcoming and facilitating the release of all documents exhibiting the truth," he said.

He continued, "The defendants were not afraid of the truth. The plan was not only to speak the truth, but to also show that same truth over and over again through the presentation of actual evidence. Neither Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, nor any of the other defendants have engaged in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively."

"Despite our clients being accused of DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim, and Offender) in defending these claims, and despite our client being referred to in writing as a predator, what I said, on behalf of our clients day one and every day since then, is true," Freeman added. "Our clients are very good people who have not engaged in this sexual harassment as alleged. As such, they have deserved a vigorous defense which was led through transparency. It is gratifying to see that the court's ruling confirms what the legal team believed from day one."

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The legal saga between the *It Ends With Us *costars dates back to December 2024 after the press tour for the film concluded where behind-the-scenes drama and rumors of an alleged feud swirled for months. That December, Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging sexual harassment and his coordination of a smear campaign.

Lively claimed that Baldoni engaged in "invasive, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behavior” and allegedly hired a crisis relations firm ahead of the movie's premiere to form a "sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed retaliation plan" against her. An attorney for Baldoni called Lively's allegations "completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious."

Baldoni responded by filing a countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds in January 2025, requesting $400 million in damages, alleging defamation, civil extortion, and breach of contract, among other accusations. In response, Lively's legal team said: "This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim." A judge threw out this lawsuit in June 2025.

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Since the lawsuits were filed, additional accusations have been made on both sides, evidence has been unsealed, and there have been efforts to dismiss the case altogether. Baldoni and Lively are due in court in May.

*This is a developing story and will be …*

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