A New York judge has dismissed the majority of Blake Lively’s legal claims against her It Ends With Us costar and director, Justin Baldoni. While her accusations of sexual harassment were thrown out, the bitter Hollywood feud is far from over, with the remaining claims headed to a jury trial this spring.
According to an April 2 court order, the judge tossed 10 of the 13 counts in Lively's lawsuit. The sexual harassment allegations were dismissed primarily on jurisdictional and employment-status grounds. The judge ruled that the claims lacked the necessary "substantial connection" to California to qualify under the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act. Furthermore, because Lively worked as an independent contractor rather than a traditional employee, her claims did not fall under the protections of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Despite the procedural setback, Lively is still poised for a courtroom showdown. The remaining counts—retaliation, breach of contract, and aiding and abetting retaliation—will be brought before a jury on May 18.
Significantly, the judge acknowledged there is "some direct evidence" of a coordinated effort to sabotage Lively's career. The court noted that a jury must decide whether the intense public backlash the actress faced was an organic internet phenomenon or an artificial "smear campaign" orchestrated by Baldoni's Wayfarer Studios to protect themselves.
Lively’s attorney, Sigrid McCawley, framed the ruling as a path forward to expose "coordinated digital attacks." McCawley emphasized that the core of the case has always centered on "devastating retaliation" after the actress advocated for on-set safety.
"For Blake Lively, the greatest measure of justice is that the people and the playbook behind these coordinated digital attacks have been exposed and are already being held accountable by other women they’ve targeted," McCawley stated. "She looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation so that it becomes easier to detect and fight."
Baldoni's representatives have not yet commented on the recent ruling. However, his attorney, Bryan Freedman, previously declared that they "refuse to cave to power brokers" and will continue their "pursuit of truth, in the face of giants."
The ruling is the latest chapter in an increasingly complex and public saga that began with a civil rights complaint in late 2024. Baldoni launched his own countersuit alleging extortion and defamation in early 2025, which was ultimately dismissed after his legal team failed to meet a November deadline to file an amended complaint.
The sprawling legal battle has also dragged in other It Ends With Us cast members. Subpoenaed costar Isabela Ferrer accused Baldoni's team of inappropriate conduct, while leaked text messages revealed actress Jenny Slate referring to the director as the "biggest clown."
The off-screen toxicity has taken a heavy toll on Colleen Hoover, the author of the original bestselling novel, which was inspired by her mother's experiences with domestic violence. Describing the legal drama as a "circus," Hoover lamented the massive negative impact the ordeal has had on everyone involved.
"Now it gives us PTSD to think about it," Hoover said in a recent interview. "I feel awful because I almost feel like she’s gone through more with the aftermath of this film, more pain than she went through with my dad, just seeing the ugliness of it."