Overview
- Judge Lewis Liman, in a Thursday ruling, dismissed 10 of 13 claims including harassment, defamation and conspiracy.
- Only three claims now head to a May 18 New York trial: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation.
- The court said Lively was an independent contractor and that California law did not apply because filming took place in New Jersey.
- The judge wrote that some on‑set behavior fell within the social context of filming, while warning that aggressive reputation management can cross into unlawful retaliation.
- Baldoni’s countersuit was tossed last June and a February mediation failed, and the dispute has drawn unusual public attention through unsealed texts and high‑profile statements.