Blake Lively’s sexual harassment case against Justin Baldoni loses most claims

Blake Lively suffered a major blow in her high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit against former co-star and director Justin Baldoni after a federal judge dismissed 10 of her 13 claims.

On Thursday, April 2, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that several of Lively’s allegations, including harassment, defamation, and conspiracy, could not proceed, while allowing a narrower set of claims – such as breach of contract and two retaliation-related allegations – to move forward to trial.

The decision stems from the case filed in December 2024, in which Lively accused Baldoni and other defendants of sexual harassment and orchestrating a retaliatory smear campaign linked to the film It Ends With Us.

The lawsuit seeks over $160 million in damages. Baldoni, 42, has denied the allegations, arguing that any disputes were creative disagreements on set. He previously filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which was dismissed in 2025.

Attorneys for Lively stressed that her claims stemmed from inappropriate conduct on set, including sexualized material not in the script, and retaliation when she declined photos with Baldoni. The case is now set to proceed to trial on May 18, but only with the remaining claims, significantly narrowing the scope of the legal battle.

This ruling marks a major turn in what has been one of Hollywood’s most closely watched legal disputes in recent years.