Actress Blake Lively vowed to keep fighting after a federal judge dismissed most of her claims in her sexual harassment lawsuit against her “It Ends With Us” director and co-star, Justin Baldoni.
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In a 152-page ruling, on Thursday U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman tossed out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including harassment, defamation and conspiracy. He allowed three other claims to proceed to a trial scheduled to begin in May: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation.
Lively issued a statement to her Instagram stories on Friday saying she was grateful for the court’s ruling because the case will now go to trial and she will get the opportunity to “tell [her] story in full.”
“The last thing I wanted in my life was a lawsuit, but I brought this case because of the pervasive RETALIATION I faced, and continue to, for privately and professionally asking for a safe working environment for myself and others,” Lively wrote in the statement.
Lively went on to speak to other potential victims, encouraging them to speak up about “retaliation and digital warfare” regardless of how “unfathomably painful” it may be.
“The physical pain from digital violence is very real,” Lively said. “It is abuse. And it’s everywhere. Not just in the news, but in your communities and schools.”
Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni has been making headlines since 2024, when she accused her “It Ends With Us” co-star of sexual harassment during the movie’s production. The actress also alleged that Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, retaliated against her after she complained about alleged misconduct on the set of the film, a drama about domestic abuse based on a novel by Colleen Hoover.
Lively’s lawyers have said their client was “kissed, nuzzled and touched” without her consent. Baldoni was “consistently inappropriate” and crossed “boundaries” on set, her lawyers argued.
Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, two of Baldoni’s attorneys, said they were “pleased” Liman dismissed the sexual harassment claims.
“These were very serious allegations, and we are grateful to the Court for its careful review of the facts, law and voluminous evidence that was provided,” Shapiro and Bach said. “What’s left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court.”
On Thursday, Liman ruled that Lively could not pursue 10 of her claims under federal civil rights law in part because she was an independent contractor, not an employee.
In a statement issued Friday, Lively’s attorney Mike Gottlieb said that the court actually ruled that Lively “provided evidence to go to trial on her core claims,” including that she privately spoke up about Baldoni’s on-set behavior, that she reasonably believed the behavior constituted unlawful sexual harassment and that Baldoni and his production company “crossed the line and took steps that harmed her reputation and career.”
Gottlieb said the court dismissed some of Lively’s claims due to legal issues “rather than an endorsement of the defendants’ conduct.”
“The retaliation Ms. Lively faced for privately speaking up for a safe working environment has always been the beating heart of her case,” Gottlieb said. “It is why she filed her lawsuit.”
In her statement, Lively expressed her gratitude to those who came before her and others speaking conversations and social change.
“I will never stop doing my part in fighting to expose the systems and people who seek to harm, shame, silence and retaliate against victims,” she wrote. “I know it’s a privilege to be able to stand up. I will not waste it.”
The trial is scheduled to start on May 18.
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