A federal judge in New York has dismissed most of the claims in Blake Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.
Judge Lewis Liman handed down his 152-page opinion and order on Thursday, April 2. The written ruling, obtained by USA TODAY, mostly granted — and in part denied — Baldoni and his codefendants' motion for summary judgment, a bid to avert a trial that was scheduled to begin May 18.
A virtual court hearing is taking place the evening of April 2.
In a 2024 California complaint that was later followed by a lawsuit filed in New York federal court, Lively claimed Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath, a producer on "It Ends With Us," engaged in inappropriate workplace behavior, then took part in a retaliatory "social manipulation" smear campaign against the actress.
Liman allowed three of the 13 legal claims — including breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation — Lively brought against her director and costar Baldoni to proceed to trial. The remaining claims pertain to It Ends With Us Movie LLC (breach of agreement and retaliation), Baldoni's production company Wayfarer Studios (retaliation), and The Agency Group PR LLC (aiding in retaliation), the company Lively had accused of organizing an online campaign that cast Lively in a negative light.
