Justin Baldoni wins major legal victory as Blake Lively claims dismissed
المصدر: البوابة | Source: البوابةALBAWABA - Blake Lively lawsuit against Justin Baldoni faces major setback.
A federal court dismissed Blake Lively's sexual harassment accusations against Justin Baldoni, her "It Ends With Us" director, about a month before the high-stakes trial was supposed to begin. The judge dismissed 10 of Lively's 13 claims, leaving only three against people other than Baldoni.
In her civil complaint, Lively accused Baldoni, who also co-starred in the film, of sexually harassing her during filming and then coordinating a smear campaign against her for coming out about the alleged harassment. Baldoni disputed the charges.
District Judge Lewis Liman issued a decision on Thursday dismissing the majority of Blake Lively's lawsuit's claims, including sexual harassment and slander. Some of the claims, including those alleging sexual harassment, were dismissed due to legal technicalities, such as Lively's status as an independent contractor rather than an employee, which Lively's attorneys stressed after the judge's order.
Out of thirteen accusations, only three remain in the case: retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and violation of contract. None of the remaining allegations name Baldoni as a defendant. One allegation against his production firm, Wayfarer, still stands.
Wayfarer reps told CNN they were "very pleased" with the court's decision to dismiss all sexual harassment accusations and claims against individual defendants.
“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,” the statement said. “What’s left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court.”
Jury selection for the trial, which would have been the culmination of a more than year-long court battle that drew numerous headlines, is set to begin on May 18.
“This case has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively’s reputation because she stood up for safety on the set, and that is the case that is going to trial," said Sigrid McCawley, an attorney for Lively.
The statement added that 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.”
“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,” the statement concluded.
The claimed abuse occurred during the making of "It Ends With Us," a 2024 film based on Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel of the same title. The plot revolves around domestic abuse in a couple, played on screen by Lively and Baldoni.
The New York Times was the first to disclose in December 2024 that Lively had filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on Baldoni's alleged conduct during and after filming. Typically, these complaints remain confidential. She eventually filed a legal lawsuit in New York federal court against Baldoni, his production business Wayfarer Studios, and numerous others.
In the complaint, Blake Lively said Baldoni made sexual remarks to people on set and discussed his personal sex life, including his "previous pornography addiction." He also reportedly improvised moments of non-choreographed closeness, as shown in some previously publicized video footage.
Baldoni stated in court files that the alleged behavior consisted of "no more than miscommunications and awkward comments" and that some of the chats were important because the film dealt with personal adult topics. Regardless, the production team listened to Blake Lively's concerns at the time and made the alterations she wanted, he stated.
Blake Lively claimed that Baldoni and his crew "weaponized a digital army" after the film's release to twist the narrative against her.
“To safeguard against the risk of Ms. Lively ever revealing the truth about Mr. Baldoni, the Baldoni-Wayfarer team created, planted, amplified, and boosted content designed to eviscerate Ms. Lively’s credibility,” she wrote in her complaint. “They engaged in the same techniques to bolster Mr. Baldoni’s credibility and suppress any negative content about him.”
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