Blake Lively to Continue Fight After Court Dismisses Key Claims

A federal judge in Manhattan has narrowed the scope of a high-profile legal dispute between actor Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, dismissing most of Lively’s claims but allowing key allegations to proceed to trial.

In a 152-page decision issued on April 2, 2026, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed 10 of the 13 claims Lively had brought against Baldoni. The ruling removes several of the most serious allegations, including claims of sexual harassment under federal law.

The judge found that Lively could not pursue sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act because she worked as an independent contractor rather than a traditional employee. He also determined that some of the alleged behavior—such as physical contact and comments made during filming—occurred within the context of scripted, intimate scenes and did not meet the legal threshold for harassment in that setting.

Additional claims brought under California law were dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, as the conduct in question took place during filming in New Jersey.

Despite these setbacks, Lively is continuing her case. In a statement posted to Instagram on April 3, she described the legal process as “unfathomably painful” but said she remains committed to pursuing the remaining claims. She emphasized that the central issue in her lawsuit—retaliation—has not been dismissed.

Lively alleges that Baldoni and his associates engaged in a coordinated effort to damage her reputation after she raised concerns about workplace safety. She also claims there was a breach of contract related to a “safety on set” provision, citing a birth scene that she says was filmed without agreed-upon protections such as a closed set or an intimacy coordinator.

Those claims, along with an allegation that public relations firms aided in the alleged retaliation, will move forward to a jury trial scheduled for May 18, 2026.

Baldoni’s legal team described the ruling as a “significant legal victory,” noting that several major claims, including sexual harassment and individual liability allegations, were dismissed. His attorneys said the case is now substantially narrowed and that they are prepared to present their defense at trial.

The case now heads toward trial with a more limited focus, centered primarily on whether retaliation and contractual violations occurred.