00:00A federal judge has dismissed most of Blake Lively's claims against Justin Baldoni,
00:05including her sexual harassment allegations, in a major development in their ongoing legal battle.
00:10Judge Lewis Lyman threw out 10 of Lively's 13 claims, including sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy,
00:18according to court documents obtained by Page Six.
00:21However, three claims will move forward, breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation,
00:29with the trial still set for May 18th.
00:32Lively originally filed her complaint in December 2024,
00:35accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment while they worked together on the film It Ends With Us.
00:40She also alleged she suffered at least $161 million in damages,
00:45tied to what she described as a coordinated smear campaign following the movie's release.
00:50Baldoni has denied all allegations.
00:53In response to the ruling, a member of Lively's legal team emphasized that the sexual harassment claim
00:57was dismissed on a technicality.
01:00Sexual harassment isn't going forward, not because the defendants did nothing wrong,
01:04but because the court determined Blake Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee,
01:09the statement said.
01:11Her team added,
01:12This case has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation
01:16and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively's reputation,
01:21because she stood up for safety on the set, and that is the case that is going to trial.
01:26They continued,
01:27The greatest measure of justice is that the people and the playbook behind these coordinated digital attacks
01:32have been exposed, and are already being held accountable by other women they've targeted.
01:36And according to her attorneys, Lively looks forward to testifying at trial
01:41and continuing to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation,
01:45so that it becomes easier to detect and fight.
01:49Meanwhile, Baldoni's legal team says they're pleased with the outcome.
01:52We're very pleased the court dismissed all sexual harassment claims,
01:56and every claim brought against the individual defendants.
01:58Justin Baldoni, Jamie Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel,
02:05his attorney said in a statement.
02:07These were very serious allegations,
02:09and we are grateful to the court for its careful review of the facts,
02:12law, and voluminous evidence that was provided.
02:15They added,
02:17What's left is a significantly narrowed case,
02:19and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court.
02:23The legal battle between the co-stars has been ongoing for months.
02:27After Lively filed her lawsuit, Baldoni countersued her and her husband,
02:31Ryan Reynolds, for $400 million.
02:34That countersuit was later dismissed.
02:36The two also appeared in a Manhattan courtroom earlier this year for a settlement conference,
02:40which ultimately ended without a resolution.
02:43Now, with only a portion of the claims moving forward,
02:46both sides are preparing to face off in court,
02:49where Lively is expected to testify.
02:51The trial is scheduled to begin May 18th.
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