Judge dismisses 10 out of 13 of Blake Lively's claims against Justin Baldoni

There has been a significant update in the legal case between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively after a judge threw out many of the actor's claims.

Lively and Baldoni have seemingly been at each other's throats ever since filming began on the 2024 film It Ends With Us, with a huge number of allegations coming out even before the film's release.

After a disastrous press tour in which the two stars, who date in the film before Lively's character realises Baldoni's is abusive, rarely appeared together, the director sued Lively after essentially accusing her of destroying any chance of the film's success.

Legalities officially began when Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios sued for £320 million, on claims of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.

Baldoni also sued Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds after he got involved, with bizarre allegations coming out after Lively filed a lawsuit in response, with the Gossip Girl star claiming that the director had made comments about her weight when she was just a few weeks postpartum, while also allegedly showing her a video of his naked wife giving birth, something his team described as a smear campaign.

However, after Lively opted to withdraw a few claims last year, the judge has now thrown out 10 of her 13 claims against Baldoni, ruling they 'could not reasonably support a claim', which significantly weakens the American's position ahead of trial.

Both Reynolds and Lively were sued by Baldoni (Aeon/GC Images)

"It is clear that the ALA is not and has never been a validly formed and binding contract, as IEWUM (It Ends With Us Movie) unambiguously expressed an intent not to be bound absent a fully executed and signed agreement’.

"That slices matters too finely,’ Judge Liman said.

"The question whether Lively would have the unilateral right to halt production of the film if in her view sexual harassment occurred is hardly inconsequential. The fact that the parties were not able to come to terms on such provision provides powerful evidence that no contract had yet been formed."

The trial is set to go ahead on 18 May in New York, albeit with Lively in a far weaker position, with Baldoni's lawyers welcoming the judge's decision.

Baldoni's attorneys, Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, told the Daily Mail: "We’re very pleased the Court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants: Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel.

"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."

The press tour for the film turned into something of a disaster ( JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The judge ruled that Lively's complaints of 'fat-shaming' should be thrown out, while her allegations that he kissed her in an unscripted moment could not be considered sexual harassment and were instead likely just a moment of improvisation, he said.

Sigrid McCawley, a member of Lively’s legal team told the Daily Mail: "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.

"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.

"Sexual harassment isn’t going forward not because the defendants did nothing wrong but because the court determined Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee."

More will become clear when the court meets again in May but for now, it seems as if Baldoni is in the stronger position when it comes to deciding this complicated legal case.