Blake Lively’s Legal Team Remains Confident in Their Case Against Justin Baldoni Despite a Judge’s Ruling
Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively will face off in court in May, but not exactly as planned. While Baldoni’s countersuit was dismissed months ago, a judge just got around to reviewing Lively’s claims against her former costar and his production studio. While three of her claims are moving to trial, a mind-boggling 10 have been tossed out. Despite that, Lively and her team are still confident as they move forward.
A brief overview of the lawsuit journey so far
The drama between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively all started when they were cast in It Ends with Us. Lively was cast as Lily, while Baldoni took on the role of Lily’s abusive partner, Ryle. Following the end of filming, as the cast moved into promoting the flick, fans noticed that Baldoni was not being followed by a single cast member from the production. He also appeared to remain largely silent during promotional appearances. That struck fans as odd, considering that Baldoni not only acted in the film but also owned the production company that brought it to life.
Theories began to surface about the tension between Baldoni and Lively. Baldoni tried to play it off, insisting he was standing back to give the women of the production their moment. Fans weren’t buying it.
Those theories were proved right in December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, claiming her co-star had harassed her on the set of It Ends with Us. According to the lawsuit, Baldoni made comments about her body, forced sexualized scenes, and made her feel uncomfortable and unsafe, thus creating a hostile work environment. In February, Livley amended her lawsuit, further claiming that Baldoni and the studio orchestrated a plan to defame her.
On January 16, 2025, Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit. In his filing, Baldoni claimed that Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their team engaged in defamation and extortion. Baldoni made headlines when he roped Taylor Swift into the court battle, claiming Swift’s influence was used to change the script and sway production. According to Reuters, a judge dismissed his countersuit in June 2025.
A judge tossed out Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims
Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios just suffered a crushing blow. On April 2, Federal Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled against 10 of the 13 claims Lively brought against Baldoni and the production studio. Liman argued that Lively’s sexual harassment claims could not go to trial next month, for various reasons. Most notably, Liman argued that Lively was not a protected employee because she was an independent contractor on the set of It Ends With Us, where the alleged harassment occurred.
While Liman tossed all of her sexual harassment claims, he did agree that the retaliation claims could go to trial. The trial is officially set for May 18. While Lively and her legal team are clearly not thrilled with Liman’s ruling, they remain confident that they can still win the case.
The actor and her team remain confident
While Justin Baldoni and his team appear to be taking a victory lap after the most recent ruling, Lively’s team would like them to settle down. Following the dismissal of several of her claims, her legal team issued a statement. Speaking to People, a lawyer working with Lively noted that the dismissal of their client’s claims did not point to Baldoni’s innocence. Rather, legal issues regarding her employment status, including her status as an independent contractor rather than an employee, led to the dismissal. They still feel strongly that harassment on the set was a major issue.
Her team remains confident that their case, though narrower than before, still proves that Lively was unfairly treated and that Baldoni’s alleged smear campaign has negatively impacted Lively’s livelihood. The retaliation claims will head to trial, which could mean Baldoni’s team is in for an uphill battle. For now, they are taking the ruling as a win before moving forward.
