Blake Lively Justin Baldoni case: Hollywood actress Blake Lively filed a sexual harassment suit against her ‘It Ends With Us’ co-star Justin Baldoni in December 2024. After lengthy proceedings, the court, on April 3, ruled to dismiss a part of her claims against the key defendant. And the dismissal of her sexual harassment claims came as a blow to the Gossip Girl star’s case. Taking to social media, her lawyer Mike Gottlieb and Lively opened up about the key ruling, as they await the next hearing on May 18.
The judgement came a month ahead of the case’s jury trial, which threw out 10 out of the 13 accusations made against Baldoni, Jamey Heath (Wayfarer CEO), Wayfarer Studios, and several PR firms. The remaining three accusations include aiding and abetting, causing emotional distress, and interference. The public ‘celebrity legal case’ also named celebrities like Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds and her billionaire best-friend, Taylor Swift.
What did Blake Lively say about the dismissal of harassment claims?
Taking to social media, Lively posted a lengthy note on Instagram. She wrote, “I’m grateful for the Court’s ruling, which allows the heart of my case to be presented to a jury next month, and for the ability to finally tell my story in full at trial, for my own sake.”
While this comes after a large share of her lawsuit was dropped before the jury trial, Lively shared further, “The last thing I wanted in my life was a lawsuit, but I brought this case because of the pervasive retaliation I faced, and continue to, for privately and professionally asking for a safe working environment for myself and others.” She acknowledged how the decision to open up about such claims was met with much taboo and shame, but pointed out how this wasn’t the first time someone raised such concerns. “My claims won’t be the first or last time you’ll see examples of the extreme dangers of retaliation and digital warfare. And it often won’t be directed at celebrities or those who may be able to speak up,” she added.
She also called out the media for labelling the lawsuit as ‘celebrity drama’ and said that the narrative not only harms her, but also several others who are afraid to speak for themselves. She warned her readers about the potential digital threats that may be lurking in every device, calling it ‘digital violence’. She wrote, “It is abuse. And it’s everywhere. Not just in the news, but in your communities and schools.”
According to Lively’s statement, “Studies estimate that between 16 per cent and 58 per cent of women have experienced online abuse or stalking, with 97 per cent of gender-based violence service providers reporting technology- facilitated abuse in their cases.” While data might smooth over varied studies, a 2025 study from the World Health Organisation (WHO) found that between 16 and 58 per cent of women and girls have experienced some form of online or technology‑facilitated violence. Moreover, a 2024 report from the New York Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) on ‘Technology‑Facilitated Gender‑Based Violence’, found that 97 per cent of their surveyors had experienced some level of technology‑facilitated violence.
She announced that she would take these efforts beyond the trial and that she would be proud of the work she would do.
“I couldn’t begin to stand up if not for the countless who’ve gone before me…risking and sometimes losing everything for the safety of others in all spaces,” Lively added in her statement. “I will never stop doing my part in fighting to expose the systems and people who seek to harm, shame, silence and retaliate against victims. I know it’s a privilege to be able to stand up. I will not waste it,” she ended her note.
Lively’s attorney attempts to clarify the ruling
As any legal proceeding goes, both Lively’s legal team, Mike Gottlieb and Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, have contradicting comments to make. Extracting several quotes from the proceedings, Gottlieb began to clarify in a lengthy statement about the ‘court’s actual ruling’.
He claimed that Freedman was reportedly “reprimanded by the court for having filed legally frivolous claims,” sharing that there was a gap in the portrayal of the court’s rulings. Gottlieb added that the court accepted that “ Blake Lively provided evidence to go to trial on her core claims…she spoke out against what she believed was sexual harassment on the set, and suffered retaliation that harmed her reputation as a result.”
During the previous proceedings, Lively had continued to iterate the change in Baldoni’s behaviour on set, and that Jamey Heath, ‘It Ends With Us’ producer, had portrayed a disturbing behaviour. As per the extracts shared in the further posts, the court had found evidence that a jury might find sufficient to the claims made by Lively, too.
“A person in her position could have understood the workplace to at times reflect a gendered and sexualized view of women and a disregard for their privacy sufficient to make it reasonable to complain about a hostile work environment based on sex or gender,” he revealed that the court said.
In contrast, however, Baldoni’s attorney, Freedman, has been reiterating that the court finally saw the truth, as per a TMZ report. “The defendants were not afraid of the truth. The plan was not only to speak the truth but also to show that same truth over and over again through the presentation of actual evidence. Neither Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, nor any of the other defendants have engaged in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively,” he had said in a statement.