Judge tosses out Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against costar Justin Baldoni
PBS • • entertainment
Key Points:
- A federal judge in New York dismissed Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni related to their work on the film "It Ends With Us," but allowed two retaliation claims to proceed.
- Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee, and therefore could not bring sexual harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- The judge found that Baldoni's alleged conduct occurred in the context of acting during filming and was not beyond what might be expected between characters, thus not constituting hostile work environment harassment.
- Baldoni and his production company previously countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for defamation and extortion, but those claims were dismissed last June.
- The trial is scheduled to begin on May 18, with jury selection discussions already underway; "It Ends With Us" was a box office success despite rumors of tension between the co-stars.
