Blake Lively’s lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni has shifted dramatically after a judge dismissed 10 out of 13 claims made by Lively. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Liman dismissed all sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy claims. However, Lively does have 3 remaining claims that are moving forward to civil trial—breach of contract, retaliation (reduction of pay), and aiding and abetting retaliation—all of them apply to a civil cause of action. Lively will be able to pursue those claims in New York on the date of May 18, in 2024.

The legal battle began in 2024 when Lively publicly accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and, while he was shooting the film, of masterminding a public relations campaign to damage Lively’s image. Baldoni denies all claims, and in fact has filed a counterclaim against Lively.

In making his ruling, Judge Liman stated that Lively cannot make a federal claim of sexual harassment under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), because Lively was working as an independent contractor. The court also cited that the FLSA does not apply in this case as Lively worked as an independent contractor and the filming of It Ends With Us occurred in New Jersey—not California where the filming actually happened. In addition, while the court has allowed some of Lively’s claims of retaliation to proceed, it also dismissed several others.

also read : Dipika Chikhlia Revisits Her Views on Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana After Teaser Release

Responding to the decision, Baldoni’s legal team said, “We’re very pleased the Court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants,” adding that the case is now significantly narrowed. Meanwhile, Lively’s lawyer Sigrid McCawley said the remaining claims will focus on alleged retaliation, adding that Lively is prepared to testify and continue the fight in court.