Baldoni Lawyer Urges Judge to Dismiss Blake Lively’s ‘It Ends with Us’ Lawsuit

A lawyer for actor-director Justin Baldoni urged a federal judge on Thursday to dismiss Blake Lively’s lawsuit linked to their 2024 film It Ends with Us, arguing her sexual harassment and retaliation claims were based on “petty slights” that do not meet the legal threshold. The hearing took place before U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan, where Lively is seeking unspecified damages for alleged harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy, and violations of federal and state civil rights laws. Liman did not indicate when he would rule, though the case is currently set for trial on May 18.

Baldoni’s lawyer Jonathan Bach said the context of a film involving adult situations mattered, claiming that the conduct alleged by Lively was “small potatoes” and insufficient to show discrimination against women. Judge Liman pushed back, noting that “a whole bunch of little things can add up to a big thing.” The hearing followed the release of thousands of pages of documents, including Lively’s claim that she was pressured to simulate nudity during a birth scene, and allegations that Baldoni added unnecessary sexual content outside the script.

Lively’s lawyer Esra Hudson countered that Baldoni repeatedly crossed professional boundaries, citing incidents including an alleged non-consensual “nuzzling” during a dance sequence and the disputed birth scene, arguing the atmosphere on set was intentionally sexually charged and marginalized women. The legal battle has drawn major public attention since late 2024 and involved celebrities including Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds and friend Taylor Swift. Baldoni previously filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and Reynolds, which Judge Liman dismissed in June, along with Baldoni’s related $250 million defamation suit against The New York Times.

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