Blake Lively’s legal team responded after a federal judge dismissed her sexual harassment allegations against Justin Baldoni, insisting that the ruling was a legal technicality rather than any kind of vindication of the Finish with us director.
Attorney Michael Gottlieb said in a statement shared with PEOPLE that Lively’s harassment allegations “have always been at the heart of Ms. Lively’s case. That’s why she filed her lawsuit.”
He was clear that the dismissal did not reflect the merits of those accusations.
“The Court’s ruling that Ms. Lively’s state and federal harassment claims could not go to trial was about legal issues rather than an endorsement of the defendants’ conduct,” he said, explaining that the claims were barred on technical grounds, Lively had not signed a contract, she was classified as an independent contractor rather than an employee, and the alleged conduct took place in New Jersey rather than California.
Federal Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed ten of the thirteen complaints Lively filed against Baldoni on Thursday, April 2, including harassment allegations, ahead of a trial scheduled for May 18 in New York.
What remains, breach of contract and a retaliation lawsuit under the Fair Employment and Housing Act against Baldoni’s company, Wayfarer Studios, will go before a jury.
Both Lively and Baldoni are expected to testify.
Baldoni’s team wasted no time in viewing the ruling as a significant victory.
Their attorneys described themselves as “very pleased” that all harassment claims and all lawsuits against the individual defendants had been dismissed, calling what was still “a significantly reduced case.”
In a separate statement to TMZAttorney Bryan Freedman went further.
“Neither Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath nor any of the other defendants participated in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively,” he said, adding that his clients “deserved a vigorous defense guided by transparency.”
Gottlieb snapped.
“Claiming exoneration based on legal technicalities while facing trial next month tells you everything you need to know,” he said, noting that Freedman had not even argued the summary judgment motion he was now publicly filing, had brought in another firm for trial, and had been reprimanded by the court the week before for bringing legally frivolous claims.
“What the Court decided yesterday is that Blake Lively provided evidence to go to trial for her core claims,” Gottlieb said.
Lively first filed her sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni in December 2024, alleging on-set misconduct and a coordinated retaliatory smear campaign, which Baldoni has denied.
Baldoni’s own countersuits against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging extortion and defamation, were dismissed by the same judge in June 2025, and his legal team decided not to file them again.
