A federal judge in Manhattan has dismissed some of the harassment and defamation charges filed by American actress Blake Lively against actor and director Justin Baldoni, her co-star in the film “It Ends with Us.” However, the decision does not concern the merits of the case, and the trial continues on other charges.
Judge Lewis Liman decided on Thursday to dismiss the charges of defamation and conspiracy brought by the 38-year-old actress, known from the series “Gossip Girl”, against Justin Baldoni, 42, according to Agerpres.
The court specified that the reasons are strictly of a legal nature and do not reflect an evaluation of the claimed facts. Specifically, the federal law cited by Blake Lively provides protection for employees but does not apply to independent contractors — the status the actress had during filming.
At the same time, the judge ruled that other charges against Justin Baldoni, including those regarding alleged retaliation and breach of contract, remain valid. They are to be analyzed in a trial scheduled for May 18.
What does the actress claim?
Blake Lively has sued the actor and his producer, alleging inappropriate behavior on the set of the production of “It Ends with Us,” a romantic comedy inspired by the novel written by Colleen Hoover and becoming one of the biggest box office hits of 2024.
In the complaint, the actress claims that Justin Baldoni made inappropriate remarks about her sex life and tried to alter the film to include sex scenes “which did not appear in the original script and had not been approved”.
It also accuses him of having orchestrated a targeted campaign “to destroy his reputation”.
Counter-charges previously dismissed
For his part, Justin Baldoni, together with the Wayfarer studio, previously tried to sue Blake Lively and her husband, the actor Ryan Reynolds, for extortion and defamation. However, these charges were dismissed last year by the same judge.
Wayfarer Studios has denied all allegations, claiming that neither the company nor its management or communications team “they did not take the slightest retaliatory action” against the actress.
