Overview
- U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, in a Thursday ruling, dismissed 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims and left retaliation, aiding-and-abetting retaliation, and breach of contract for a May 18 trial.
- The court said Lively was an independent contractor and that California labor law did not cover conduct during filming in New Jersey.
- All sexual harassment claims and every claim against the individual defendants, including Justin Baldoni, were dismissed, leaving the remaining claims against corporate parties.
- The judge wrote that some improvised on‑camera intimacy fell within filmmaking context and did not meet hostile‑work‑environment standards, while alleged reputation tactics could still inform retaliation claims.
- Lively cast the outcome as a path to expose a coordinated online smear effort, Baldoni’s team called the case significantly narrowed, and the trial could clarify where crisis PR crosses into unlawful retaliation.