Blake Lively back in 2024 had filed a lawsuit against her co-star Justin Baldoni and it became a hot topic across the media. She sued him on sexual harassment on set and he counter-sued her on the charges. Now, after months, a judge has dismissed most of Blake’s claims, while a few are taken into consideration for further ruling.
In a recent ruling, reports suggest that a federal judge Lewis Liman, dismissed Blake’s majority of allegations including sexual harassment and defamation. A total of 10 out of 13 arguments have been disregarded by the court but three of the claims still stand strong. Among the three stands, breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation. The next trial is dated for May 18 which will be argued in civil court.
The feud dates back to the production days of the hit romantic drama It Ends With Us. She accused Justin of sexual harassment where he allegedly made comments about her appearance and weight on the set of the film. He denied it all and even fired back with a now-dismissed $400m countersuit.
Blake, addressing the dismissal, stated it was dropped, “not because the defendants did nothing wrong but due to legal technicalities.”
The reason for the dismissal was that Blake cannot file a sexual harassment claim under federal law because she was an independent contractor. Also the shoot was done in New Jersey and hence she can’t file in California.
Basking in the partial win of the case, Justin’s attorneys Alexandria Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, stated, “We’re very pleased the Court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants”. They added, “These were very serious allegations, and we are grateful to the court for its careful review of the facts, law, and voluminous evidence that was provided. What’s left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court”.
However, there’s more to unfold in the case. While it may seem like a partial win for Justin’s team, the remaining three allegations could pose a much bigger challenge ahead.
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