(Left) Blake Lively at the London screening of the film “It ‘Ends With Us” on Aug. 8, 2024. (Right) Justin Baldoni at the world premiere of the film in New York on Aug. 6, 2024. AP Photo
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed actor Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims against co-star Justin Baldoni over conduct on the set of the 2024 movie “It Ends With Us” but left intact retaliation and contract-related claims to be decided by a jury in May.
The ruling by New York District Judge Lewis Liman puts to rest Lively’s most substantial claims, which also included defamation and conspiracy, in the high-profile celebrity battle.
Lively sued Baldoni, who also directed the movie, in December alleging she was a victim of sexual harassment on the set and suffered retaliation from Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer after she complained about his behavior.
Liman dismissed 10 of the 13 claims. In his ruling, the judge found Lively was an independent contractor and therefore was not entitled to bring sexual harassment claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law prohibits employment discrimination based on gender.
“The crux of these claims is that the Defendants harassed Lively and subjected her to a hostile work environment on the basis of her sex and/or gender,” Liman wrote. “Lively’s allegations center largely around conduct which occurred on the set of the film during the first phase of production in New Jersey. This on-set conduct occurred outside California and cannot support applying the statutes extraterritorially.”
Lively brought her claims under California employment laws.
When analyzing the sexual harassment claims, the judge said Lively’s accusations must be viewed in context.