NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Blake Lively鈥檚 against Justin Baldoni over the movie 鈥淚t Ends With Us鈥� were dismissed Thursday by a federal judge who left intact three claims, including retaliation, that will let a jury hear many of the allegations anyway.
The written ruling by Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan came after Lively, who starred in and produced the film, sued her co-star and director in December 2024. A trial is scheduled for May 18.
Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios had countersued Lively and her husband, 鈥淒eadpool鈥� actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion. The judge dismissed Baldoni鈥檚 claims last June.
In his ruling, Liman determined that Lively was an independent contractor rather than an employee. On that basis, he said she was not entitled to bring sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That law prohibits employment discrimination on various grounds, including gender.
As to retaliation, the judge said some evidence might enable a jury to conclude that Baldoni’s production company planned not only to damage Lively’s reputation but to destroy her career amid fear she’d file a discrimination claim. Lively alleges a smear campaign has been 鈥渄evastating for her reputation and career,鈥� the judge noted.
In an analysis of the sexual harassment claims, the judge said Lively’s claims had to be viewed in the context of the movie they were working on.
鈥淟ively claims that during filming, Baldoni leaned in and gestured as if he was intending to kiss her, and that he kissed her forehead, rubbed his face and mouth against her neck, put his thumb to her mouth and flicked her lower lip, caressed her, and leaned into her neck, saying 鈥榠t smells good,鈥欌�� the judge wrote.
He said there was no question that the conduct would support a hostile work environment claim if it happened on a factory floor or in an executive suite.
However, the judge noted, Baldoni was 鈥渁cting in the scene鈥� and his “conduct was not so far beyond what might reasonably be expected to take place between two characters during a slow dancing scene such that an inference of hostile treatment on the basis of sex would arise. At least in isolation, the conduct was directed to Lively鈥檚 character rather than to Lively herself.鈥�
Liman added: 鈥淐reative artists, no less than comedy room writers, must have some amount of space to experiment within the bounds of an agreed script without fear of being held liable for sexual harassment.鈥�
Despite those findings, the judge said some sexual harassment claims may be put to a jury to support two retaliation claims that survived the ruling, including one against It Ends With Us Movie LLC and Wayfarer Studios, and a third claim that was left intact alleging breach of a contract rider agreement against It Ends With Us Movie LLC.
The judge noted that Baldoni once said 鈥減retty hot鈥� after asking Lively to remove her jacket, exposing a lace bra underneath, and that when he was warned that it was inappropriate and distracting to make such comment, he allegedly rolled his eyes and responded: 鈥淪orry, I missed the sexual harassment training.鈥�
Liman also cited a scene in which Baldoni pushed for Lively to perform a birth scene naked and then the scene was filmed over several hours without the set being closed to nonessential personnel.
In a statement, Lively attorney Sigrid McCawley wrote that Lively 鈥渓ooks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation so that it become easier to detect and fight.鈥�
She added: 鈥淭his case has always been and will remain focused on the devasting retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively鈥檚 reputation because she stood up for safety on the set and that is the case that is going to trial.鈥�
Bryan Freedman, a lawyer for Baldoni, said the defendants in the case were 鈥渧ery good people who have not engaged in this sexual harassment as alleged.鈥�
鈥淚t is gratifying to see that the courts ruling confirms what the legal team believed from day one,鈥� Freedman said in an email to The Associated Press.
鈥淚t Ends With Us,鈥� an adaptation of that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, was released in August 2024, with a $50 million debut. But the movie鈥檚 release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.
Lively appeared in the 2005 film 鈥淭he Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants鈥� and the TV series 鈥淕ossip Girl鈥� from 2007 to 2012 before starring in films including 鈥淭he Town鈥� and 鈥淭he Shallows.鈥�
Baldoni starred in the TV comedy directed the 2019 film 鈥淔ive Feet Apart鈥� and wrote 鈥淢an Enough,鈥� a book challenging traditional notions of masculinity.
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