A federal judge has dismissed most of Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, dismissing ten of her thirteen claims, including the central allegation of sexual harassment, but ruling that her retaliation allegations will be presented to a jury in a trial scheduled for May 18.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued the ruling Thursday, significantly limiting the case that has played out in public and in court for more than a year.
The remaining claims center on an alleged breach of contract, retaliation by Baldoni’s Wayfarer production company and assistance in retaliation by the public relations firm he hired.
The sexual harassment claim was dismissed on legal grounds, the judge finding that it lacked the substantial connection to California required by the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and that Lively did not qualify under federal civil rights law because she was an independent contractor rather than an employee.
“Ultimately, Lively fails to confront what the central dilemma of her claim is,” Liman wrote.
However, the court was far from dismissing what happened after those accusations.
Liman wrote that “some conduct could at least be said to have crossed the line,” noting that there are limits to how a person accused of harassment can respond.
“There comes a point at which the defendant simply stops defending himself and begins to take actions that a reasonable jury might consider retaliation for the fact that the accuser had the temerity to make the accusations.”
The judge also found “some direct evidence that the plan to destroy Lively and her career was set in motion.”
Among the details that will now go before a jury: messaging points in Baldoni’s public relations campaign that claimed Lively had a poor reputation in the industry “spanning decades” and that production staff lost jobs because of her alleged acquisition of the film.
Crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan was quoted in court documents as saying she couldn’t send certain materials “that could cause us a lot of trouble” and adding, “You know we can bury anyone.”
Wayfarer founder Steve Sarowitz was quoted as saying, “There will be two dead bodies when it’s over.” The court also noted that Baldoni asked her public relations team to broadcast a video that portrayed Lively as insensitive toward survivors of domestic violence.
Lively’s lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, said the case “has always and will continue to focus on the devastating retaliation and extraordinary measures the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively’s reputation because she stood up for safety on set.”
He added that Lively “looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shed light on this cruel form of online retaliation.”
Baldoni’s lawyers emphasized the importance of the dismissals and said what remained was “a significantly limited case.”
All claims against Baldoni personally, along with those of Wayfarer founder Sarowitz and public relations specialist Nathan, were dismissed.
The legal battle has been forceful on all sides.
Baldoni filed a countersuit against Lively in January 2025 accusing her of extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy, but it was dismissed after his legal team missed a filing deadline.
The New York Times He was also involved in the dispute.
Other cast members were also drawn in, with Isabela Ferrer alleging in court documents that Baldoni’s team acted “inappropriately” after she was subpoenaed, and text messages released in court showed Jenny Slate calling Baldoni “the biggest clown.”
The book’s author, Colleen Hoover, whose novel inspired the film, summed up the toll of the whole thing.
“It feels like a circus,” he said. she. “Now it gives us PTSD thinking about it.”
