Judge dismisses Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni

U.S. Judge dismisses Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni April 2, 2026 / 6:48 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google A federal judge in New York tossed out actor Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims Thursday against actor Justin Baldoni over their roles in the movie "It Ends With Us," but he left intact two retaliation claims. The 152-page ruling by Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan came after Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment among more than a dozen claims against Baldoni and other parties. A trial is scheduled to start on May 18. A brief phone conference was conducted after Liman issued his ruling. On the call, lawyers discussed the process of jury selection for the trial. Baldoni, who directed the movie and co-starred opposite Lively, has denied the sexual harassment claims. Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios had countersued for $400 million against Lively and her husband, "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion. The judge dismissed Baldoni's claims last June. In his ruling, Liman determined that Lively was an independent contractor rather than an employee. On that basis, he said she was not entitled to bring sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That law prohibits employment discrimination on various grounds, including gender. In an analysis of the sexual harassment claims, the judge said Lively's claims had to be viewed in the context of the movie they were working on. "Lively claims that during filming, Baldoni leaned in and gestured as if he was intending to kiss her, and that he kissed her forehead, rubbed his face and mouth against her neck, put his thumb to her mouth and flicked her lower lip, caressed her, and leaned into her neck, saying 'it smells good,'" the judge wrote. He said there was no question that the conduct would support a hostile work environment claim if it happened on a factory floor or in an execu...