A US judge has dismissed Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims in her lawsuit against co-star Justin Baldoni.
The decision to throw out most of the claims in the case was made by District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan on Thursday on jurisdictional grounds.
Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment in connection with the filming of their 2024 romantic drama It Ends With Us.
The 38-year-old actress – who is married to Ryan Reynolds – sued Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios and others, seeking damages for alleged harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws.
She claimed the defendants created a sexually charged atmosphere during the film’s production and then schemed to silence her from speaking out.
The film starred Lively and Baldoni, who was also the director.
Baldoni – who denies any wrongdoing – argued he addressed his co-star’s concerns as soon as she raised them and defended his decision to hire a crisis management firm after Lively began disparaging him publicly.
In his ruling, Judge Liman said Lively had sued under a California law but the alleged wrongful conduct took place elsewhere.
He said Lively could pursue a retaliation claim against Wayfarer Studios, in addition to a contract claim and an aiding and abetting claim against various defendants.
The rift became public in December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint with the California civil rights department, followed by her lawsuit.
Pic: Reuters
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The New York Times published an article about the events, titled: “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.”
Baldoni sued Lively and Reynolds for defamation, accusing the couple of destroying his reputation, but Judge Liman dismissed the case in June.
He also dismissed Baldoni’s case against The New York Times.
It Ends With Us is about a flower shop owner, played by Lively, who marries a neurosurgeon played by Baldoni, but the marriage falls apart when he becomes abusive, reminding the florist of her own parents’ relationship.
