Arabic version: المحكمة تخفض مزاعم التحرش ضد بلايك لايفلي ضد جاستن بالدوني

A federal judge has dismissed most of the claims in a sexual harassment lawsuit that actress Blake Lively filed against her It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni. Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of 13 allegations in Lively’s case, including harassment and defamation. He left in place three claims against Baldoni – breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation – which will now go to a civil trial in New York on May 18.

According to BBC News, the legal dispute began in 2024 when Lively accused Baldoni of harassment and a smear campaign on the set of their movie. Baldoni has denied the allegations and counter-sued.

Lively’s legal representative, Sigrid McCawley, emphasized that the case will continue to focus on retaliation and the extraordinary steps taken by Baldoni and his associates to destroy Lively’s reputation. McCawley stated that the dismissal of the sexual harassment claims was due to a technicality, not an indication of wrongdoing by the defendants.

The judge’s ruling noted that the harassment claims could not be upheld under California law since the alleged misconduct occurred in New Jersey. Additionally, Lively’s status as an independent contractor rather than an employee affected her ability to bring certain claims.

Baldoni’s counter-lawsuit, which sought $400 million and included allegations of civil extortion, was dismissed last year. The ongoing legal battle has involved various allegations and counter-allegations, including derogatory communications between Lively and Taylor Swift about Baldoni.