The Judge Just Threw Out Most of Blake Lively's Case — And Somehow It Got More Interesting | Brewtiful Living
Trial begins May 18, 2026 · New York City · Blake Lively expected to testify · Updated April 26, 2026
Brewtiful Living · News & Culture · Breaking
The Judge Just Threw Out Most of Blake Lively's Case
And somehow, it just got more interesting.
April 3, 2026 · Updated April 26, 2026 · Brewtiful Living · News & Culture · Sara Alba
10Claims Dismissed
3Claims Going to Trial
May 18Trial Date · NYC
A 152-Page Ruling, One Very Long Year, and a Trial That's Still Happening
A federal judge threw out 10 of Blake Lively's 13 claims against Justin Baldoni. The sexual harassment case — the one that started all of this — is gone. And yet somehow, the story is more alive than ever.
If you were expecting this ruling to bring the curtain down on the Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni saga, you clearly haven't been paying attention. Because what Judge Lewis Liman handed down on April 2nd wasn't an ending — it was a plot twist. The harassment claims are gone. The defamation claims are gone. Ten of thirteen counts, dismissed in a 152-page ruling. But three claims survived. And those three claims are headed straight to a jury trial on May 18th. In New York City. With Blake Lively on the stand.
We have been watching this unfold since both sides went into meltdown mode — and the ruling does nothing to close the story. If anything, it sharpens it. Here's what got dismissed, what survived, why it matters, and why Justin Baldoni is absolutely not popping champagne yet.
The Scoreboard
✕Gone
Sexual Harassment
Dismissed because filming took place in New Jersey, not California — so California's harassment law didn't apply. As an independent contractor, federal law didn't cover her either. The judge did not say the conduct didn't happen — he said the laws cited didn't apply.
✕Gone
Defamation
Lively claimed Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman made false allegations about her. Dismissed.
✕Gone
Conspiracy + 7 More Claims
Seven additional counts dismissed alongside harassment and defamation. Ten total gone.
✓Trial
Retaliation — Going to Trial May 18
Did Baldoni's team orchestrate a coordinated smear campaign to destroy Lively's reputation after she spoke up? A jury will decide.
✓Trial
Breach of Contract — Going to Trial May 18
Did Wayfarer Studios violate the terms of Lively's deal? That question goes to the jury.
✓Trial
Aiding & Abetting Retaliation — Going to Trial May 18
Did others help carry out the smear campaign against Lively? Also going before a jury in May.
Why the Dismissal Isn't the Win It Looks Like
Here is the thing about the sexual harassment dismissal that Baldoni's team is currently framing as a major victory: the judge didn't say it didn't happen. He said California law didn't apply because the filming was in New Jersey, and federal law didn't apply because Lively was a contractor rather than an employee. It's a technicality victory. A jurisdictional win. Not an exoneration.
The judge was very specific about this. He noted that some of the conduct described "at least arguably crossed the line." He just couldn't let the harassment claim proceed under the laws Lively cited. That's a very different thing from a judge saying nothing happened on that set.
Meanwhile, the retaliation claim — which is the part Lively's lawyers have always said was the real heart of this case — survived every challenge. The smear campaign allegation is going to a jury. The judge concluded that a reasonable jury, viewing the evidence favorably to Lively, could find that Baldoni's team took deliberate steps to destroy her reputation. That language matters. The jury gets it May 18.
"This case has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation and the extraordinary steps the defendants took to destroy Blake Lively's reputation because she stood up for safety on the set."
— Sigrid McCawley, Blake Lively's attorney, April 2, 2026
The Part Everyone Is Actually Here For
Yes, The Taylor Swift Texts Are Still In Play
If you were worried the ruling would sweep the celebrity text messages under a judicial rug, fear not. The trial going ahead means so does the evidence — including the now-infamous Taylor Swift messages that surfaced during discovery.
"I think this bitch knows something is coming because he's gotten out his tiny violin."
That was Taylor Swift, in a text to Blake Lively in the fall of 2024, referring to Baldoni. Lively herself responded by calling Baldoni a "clown" and a "doofus director." Swift's lawyers have been actively trying to keep her out of the proceedings. Whether they succeed will be one of the subplots of the May trial. Gigi Hadid and Hugh Jackman have also been named as potential witnesses. This trial is going to be a lot of things, but quiet is not one of them.
How We Got Here — The Full Timeline
August 2024
It Ends With Us hits theaters. Makes $350 million worldwide. The press tour is visibly, famously awkward. Rumors of a rift between Lively and Baldoni begin circulating immediately.
December 20, 2024
Lively files a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. The New York Times publishes "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine."
December 31, 2024
Lively files her federal lawsuit. William Morris Endeavor drops Baldoni as a client.
January 2025
Baldoni files a $400 million defamation suit against Lively and Ryan Reynolds, claiming they hijacked his film and tried to destroy his career.
June 2025
Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds is dismissed by Judge Liman. His defamation case against the New York Times is also thrown out. Baldoni: three lawsuits filed, three dismissed.
February 2026
Court-ordered mediation fails. Both parties unable to reach settlement. Trial date confirmed for May 18.
April 2, 2026
Judge Liman dismisses 10 of 13 claims including sexual harassment. Three proceed to trial: retaliation, breach of contract, aiding and abetting retaliation.
May 18, 2026
Trial begins in New York City federal court. Blake Lively expected to testify. Taylor Swift's involvement still an open question.
What Happens Between Now and May 18
Five Things to Watch
1
Blake Lively testifies. Her legal team has made clear she is ready and willing to take the stand. Whatever she says in that courtroom will be on the record and reported on extensively.
2
The smear campaign evidence goes public. The retaliation claim centers on the allegation that Baldoni's team hired crisis PR professionals to systematically destroy Lively's reputation. The details go before a jury.
3
Taylor Swift's lawyers keep working. Swift has been trying to limit her involvement. Whether she ends up being called is still open heading into May.
4
A settlement is still possible. These things have a habit of settling in the days before trial begins. Neither side has shown much interest in compromise — but the prospect of a very public trial focuses minds.
5
Hollywood watches carefully. The smear campaign element — the allegation that a studio hired crisis PR to pre-emptively destroy an actress — has implications well beyond these two people. The industry is paying close attention.
The Verdict on the Verdict
Baldoni's team is presenting the ruling as a win, and on paper, they have a point. Ten claims dismissed is a significant reduction. The sexual harassment allegations — the ones that generated the most headlines — are no longer going before a jury. That's not nothing.
But here's what's also true: Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds — dismissed entirely. His defamation case against the New York Times — dismissed. And now the case that is actually going to trial asks a jury to decide whether his team ran a coordinated operation to destroy a woman's career because she complained about how she was treated on set. It is a recurring theme in 2026 — powerful people discovering that burying things doesn't work as well as it used to.
That is not a great set of facts to walk into a courtroom with, regardless of how many claims were dismissed beforehand. The trial starts May 18th. Brewtiful Living will have coffee ready.
— Sara Alba · Brewtiful Living · News & Culture · Updated April 26, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni — What You Need to Know
On April 2, 2026, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of Blake Lively's 13 claims, including sexual harassment. Three claims are proceeding to a jury trial beginning May 18, 2026 in New York City: retaliation, breach of contract, and aiding and abetting retaliation.
The trial is scheduled to begin May 18, 2026 in New York City federal court. Blake Lively is expected to testify. The three surviving claims — retaliation, breach of contract, and aiding and abetting retaliation — will be decided by a jury.
Judge Liman dismissed it on jurisdictional grounds — filming took place in New Jersey, not California, so California's harassment law didn't apply. Because Lively was an independent contractor, federal harassment law also didn't cover her. Critically, the judge did not say the conduct didn't occur — he specifically noted it "at least arguably crossed the line." The dismissal was a technicality, not an exoneration of Baldoni.
The retaliation claim going to trial alleges that Justin Baldoni's team hired crisis PR professionals to orchestrate a coordinated campaign to destroy Blake Lively's public reputation after she complained about her treatment on the set of It Ends With Us. This claim survived all pre-trial challenges and will be decided by a jury May 18.
Text messages from Taylor Swift to Blake Lively surfaced during discovery — Swift called Baldoni a "bitch" and Lively called him a "clown" and "doofus director." Taylor Swift's lawyers are working to limit her involvement. Whether she is called as a witness remains open heading into May 18. Gigi Hadid and Hugh Jackman have also been named as potential witnesses.
Justin Baldoni filed a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in January 2025. Judge Liman dismissed it in June 2025. His separate defamation case against the New York Times was also thrown out. Baldoni's current legal record: three lawsuits filed, three dismissed.
