Judge Guts Blake Lively’s Case Against Justin Baldoni, Tossing 10 of 13 Claims

Blake Lively just took a major hit in her court fight with Justin Baldoni. A federal judge in Manhattan threw out most of her claims, kept a few big ones alive, and, thanks to a legal technicality, pushed her sexual harassment allegations off the table for now.

What the judge just did

On Thursday, April 2, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of the 13 claims in Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni and the Wayfarer Defendants, per court filings. Gone: her harassment, defamation, conspiracy, and emotional distress claims. Still standing: three claims headed to trial — breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation.

Key wrinkle that matters: the court determined Lively was working as an independent contractor on the film, not an employee. That classification is why the sexual harassment claims are not moving forward, not because the court said nothing happened.

'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... She looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation.'

That's from Sigrid McCawley on Lively's legal team, who also stressed that the harassment counts were sidelined because of that contractor-versus-employee issue.

The Wayfarer Defendants — the group that includes Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel — were quick to celebrate the cuts. Their attorneys said they were 'very pleased' the court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim against the individual defendants, adding that what's left is a 'significantly narrowed case' they plan to fight at trial.

Where this leaves the case

Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 42, were expected to have their next hearing Thursday evening over Zoom. As of now, the trial is set to begin on May 18. Scheduling has already been a tug-of-war: on March 26, Judge Liman granted Baldoni a one-week extension, moving the deadline for pretrial filings from Friday, April 3, to Friday, April 10, and bumping the final pretrial conference from April 21 to April 28.

How we got here (quick version)

• Summer 2024: Lively and Baldoni star in 'It Ends With Us' as Lily and Ryle — a toxic on-screen couple — with Baldoni also directing.
• December 2024: Lively files a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of misconduct on set, creating a hostile work environment, and launching a smear campaign after clashes during production.
• After that filing: Lively sues over sexual harassment and seeks more than $160 million in damages. Baldoni denies the allegations.
• Baldoni countersues, claiming Lively exaggerated misconduct and cast him as a villain in the press.
• June 2025: A judge dismisses Baldoni's lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which had accused them of extortion and defamation.
• Five months later: Baldoni moves to dismiss Lively's suit, arguing she cannot prove actionable sexual harassment.
• March 12: Lively's team urges the court to keep the case moving with the evidence already gathered.
• Later in March: Baldoni's side accuses Lively's lawyers of a massive 'document dump' and asks for a pretrial delay — which leads to that one-week extension granted on March 26.

The bottom line

Most of Lively's claims are out, including the emotional distress and sexual harassment counts, but the core of her case — that she was retaliated against and that contracts were breached — is headed to trial. Both sides are claiming a win today. The real test lands in court starting May 18.