A federal judge in Manhattan threw out 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims against Justin Baldoni and his production team from It Ends With Us. These claims included important sexual harassment and defamation claims. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman said that Lively, who was classified as an independent contractor instead of an employee, could not pursue harassment under certain labor laws. However, he did say that the behavior could be very bad in other situations. The ruling, which was 152 pages long, was made on April 2, 2026, just a few weeks before the trial on May 18.
Lively’s claims of retaliation, breach of contract, and helping or encouraging retaliation against The Agency Group PR will go to trial. The main focus will be on an alleged “sophisticated” smear campaign that started after she raised safety concerns on set. The judge said that Baldoni’s team could protect their reputation, but some of their actions “crossed the line” into possible retaliation. Lively wants $550 million in damages, and her lawyer says the main point of the case is to show how women who speak out online are attacked.
The fight started while they were making the domestic violence adaptation. Lively accused Baldoni of crossing the line by adding intimate kisses and whispers to scenes. Baldoni, who directed and starred opposite Lively, denied the claims and filed a counterclaim, saying that her team started their own PR war. In February 2026, settlement talks fell through, making the case involving celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Swift even more serious.
