US court dismisses Blake Lively sexual harassment case

A US federal judge has dismissed actor Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims against actor-director Justin Baldoni, significantly narrowing a closely watched legal battle linked to the 2024 film It Ends With Us, while allowing her retaliation claims against Baldoni’s production company to proceed to trial.

In a 152-page ruling issued on Thursday, US district judge Lewis Liman concluded that Baldoni’s alleged conduct on set was directed at Lively’s fictional character rather than at the actor herself. The decision follows more than a year of acrimonious litigation over the romantic drama, in which the two co-starred and which Baldoni directed.

Lively’s legal team had argued that Baldoni introduced unnecessary sexual content during filming and deviated from the agreed script. Her lawyer Esra Hudson alleged that Baldoni engaged in behaviour including “nuzzling” Lively without consent during a dance sequence, and pressuring her to wear minimal clothing and simulate nudity in a childbirth scene.

However, the judge held that creative professionals must be allowed latitude within the scope of a script. “Creative artists … must have some amount of space to experiment within the bounds of an agreed script without fear of being held liable for sexual harassment,” Liman wrote.

While dismissing the sexual harassment claims, the court allowed Lively to continue pursuing allegations that Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, retaliated against her after she complained about conditions on set. The judge said jurors may examine whether the defendants “impermissibly and materially altered” Lively’s career prospects, including through an alleged smear campaign involving public relations and crisis management specialists.

The case is scheduled to go to trial on 18 May, where Lively is expected to testify regarding what her lawyers describe as efforts to damage her reputation after she raised concerns about workplace safety. Her legal team maintains that she was subjected to a hostile and sexually charged production environment and later targeted for speaking out.

Baldoni’s lawyers welcomed the dismissal of the sexual harassment claims and the removal of individual defendants, including Wayfarer chief executive Jamey Heath, from the case. The defence has consistently denied wrongdoing and said it looks forward to presenting its case at trial.

The dispute first became public in December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by a civil lawsuit seeking damages for alleged harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy, and violations of civil rights laws. Baldoni subsequently filed a defamation suit against Lively and her actor husband Ryan Reynolds, but that claim was dismissed in June, along with a separate defamation case against the New York Times.

Judge Liman also noted that some of Lively’s claims could not proceed under federal civil rights law because she worked as an independent contractor rather than an employee. He further observed that certain claims brought under California law faced jurisdictional challenges because the alleged conduct took place elsewhere.

Despite mixed critical reception, It Ends With Us performed strongly at the box office, grossing more than $351 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

With agency inputs