Blake Lively says she will continue fighting Justin Baldoni in court after a judge dismissed most of her lawsuit tied to It Ends With Us. Although the ruling narrowed the case, Lively insists the most important claims are still alive and headed for trial.
Blake Lively vows to keep fighting Justin Baldoni after major setback
A federal judge dismissed 10 of the 13 claims in Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. According to Judge Lewis Liman, several of Lively’s claims could not move forward because she worked as an independent contractor rather than an employee during filming.
That decision meant her harassment claims could not be pursued under federal law. The judge also threw out claims filed under California law because the alleged incidents took place in New Jersey during production.
Judge Liman also addressed Lively’s complaints about certain on-set behavior, including “nuzzling” and wardrobe issues. He ruled that actors and directors must have room to experiment within a script and said those actions could not automatically be treated as harassment if they were directed at the character rather than the actor.
Despite that setback, three major claims remain. Lively will still move forward with claims that Wayfarer Studios retaliated against her after she raised concerns, that public relations firms helped carry out a coordinated smear campaign, and that there was a breach of contract involving “no retaliation” clauses in her agreement.
After the ruling, Lively responded in a statement shared to Instagram. She said the case was never simply about celebrity drama and argued that the real issue is retaliation against people who speak up.
Lively claimed the lawsuit has already exposed what she called the “playbook” behind coordinated online attacks and described the backlash she faced as “digital violence” and abuse.
“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,” Lively mentioned, ending her statement with, “See you in court.”
The trial is scheduled to begin on May 18. The legal battle grew out of tensions during the production of It Ends With Us, the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, which eventually became one of the most talked-about off-screen feuds in Hollywood.
