US judge tosses Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK, April 2 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday dismissed most of Blake Lively's claims in her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, including her claims that he sexually harassed her in connection with the filming of their 2024 romantic drama "It Ends With Us."

The decision was issued by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan.

It followed more than a year of acrimonious litigation over the movie, in which Lively and Baldoni co-starred and which Baldoni directed.

Lawyers for Lively and Baldoni did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Liman dismissed Lively's sexual harassment claims against Baldoni and other defendants on jurisdictional grounds, saying she had sued under a California law but the alleged wrongful conduct took place elsewhere.

The judge said Lively may pursue a retaliation claim against Baldoni's production company Wayfarer Studios, as well as a contract claim and an aiding and abetting claim against various defendants.

LIVELY SUED IN 2024

Lively's case has been closely followed in Hollywood. It has drawn in famous people like singer Taylor Swift, model Gigi Hadid and actor Hugh Jackman, all of whom according to Lively might have information supporting her claims.

In December, Liman set a May 18 trial date, pending his decision on whether to let Lively's case go forward.

Lively, 38, sued Baldoni, Wayfarer and others in December 2024, seeking unspecified damages for alleged harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws.

She complained that the defendants created a sexually charged atmosphere during the movie's production, and then schemed to silence her and others from speaking out about the hostile environment they created.

Baldoni, 42, countered that he resolved Lively's concerns as soon as she raised them, and that he was entitled to hire a crisis management firm after Lively began disparaging him publicly.

BALDONI'S LAWYER DOWNPLAYED 'PETTY SLIGHTS'

In seeking a dismissal, Baldoni's lawyer Jonathan Bach contended during a January 22 hearing that Lively's case was based on trivial "petty slights" that taken together didn't support her hostile workplace claim.

In his 152-page written opinion, Liman said Baldoni's alleged retaliatory smear campaign began after Lively's relationship with Baldoni and Wayfarer ended, and thus "plainly" could not support her hostile work environment claim.

Lively's lawyer Esra Hudson had argued that Baldoni repeatedly went too far, including by deviating from the script by adding unnecessary sexual content.

Hudson said this included a dance sequence in which Baldoni allegedly "nuzzled" Lively without consent, and a scene where Lively's character was giving birth and she was pressured to wear little clothing and simulate nudity.

Liman wrote that Baldoni's alleged conduct appeared to be directed towards Lively's character in the scene, rather than Lively herself.

"Creative artists, no less than comedy room writers, must have some amount of space to experiment within the bounds of an agreed script without fear of being held liable for sexual harassment," the judge wrote.

LIVELY, BALDONI SUED EACH OTHER

The dispute became public in December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by her lawsuit. A related article published in the New York Times was titled: "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine."

Baldoni sued Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, for defamation, saying they tried to destroy his reputation, but Liman dismissed that case last June. The judge also dismissed Baldoni's defamation case against the Times.

"It Ends With Us" starred Lively as a flower shop owner who marries a neurosurgeon played by Baldoni.

His character becomes abusive, reminding Lively's character of her parents' relationship, and the marriage falls apart after Lively's character reconnects with her first love, who became a chef and restaurant owner.

Despite mixed reviews, the movie grossed more than $351 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.