Blake Lively is “looking forward” to facing Justin Baldoni in court in his upcoming trial, even though all but three of his claims were dismissed on Thursday.
“This case has been, and continues to be, focused on the devastating retaliation and extraordinary measures defendants took to destroy Blake Lively’s reputation because she stood up to protect safety on set,” Sigrid McCauley, a member of Lively’s legal team, told Page Six in a statement Thursday.
McCauley added that for Lively, “the greatest measure of justice is that the people and schemes behind these coordinated digital attacks are exposed and are already being held accountable by other women who have been targeted.”
The “Gossip Girl” alum “looks forward to testifying at trial and continuing to shine a light on this vicious online retaliation to make it easier to discover and fight,” her attorney said.
“The sexual harassment case does not proceed, not because the defendants did nothing wrong, but because the court determined that Blake Lively was an independent contractor rather than an employee,” the attorneys concluded.
Baldoni’s lawyers also spoke out following Thursday’s news that a judge dismissed all of Lively’s sexual harassment claims but allowed the case to proceed on charges of breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation.
“We are extremely pleased that the court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and all allegations brought against the individual defendants, including Justin Baldoni, Jamie Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel,” Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Buck told Page Six in a statement.
“These are very serious allegations, and we appreciate the court’s careful consideration of the facts, the law, and the extensive evidence provided.”
They concluded that “what remains is a fairly narrow case and we look forward to presenting our defense to the remaining claims in court.”
After months of rumors of tension during promotional events for It Ends with Us, which Baldoni directed and Lively co-starred in, Lively filed a complaint in December 2024 accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation on set.
She subsequently sued Baldoni, alleging that the director owed her at least $161 million in damages for a coordinated smear campaign during the theatrical release of her film about domestic violence.
Baldoni has consistently denied all charges and filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which was dismissed by a judge last June.
Mr. Baldoni’s attorney, Brian Friedman, told Page Six at the time that he and Mr. Baldoni “remain committed to pursuing the truth through all legal and factual avenues,” adding that they are “focused on Ms. Lively’s claims.”
The co-stars faced off in a Manhattan courthouse on February 11th for a settlement, but Friedman was ultimately labeled “unsuccessful” in comments to Deadline. Baldoni returned to court the next day, but Lively did not appear to be present.
As the drama escalated, a number of A-list celebrities appeared in a trove of unsealed documents earlier this year, including Lively’s ex-best friend Taylor Swift and Reynolds’ ex-wife Scarlett Johansson.
A trial date for Baldoni and Lively is set for May 18.
