'Angry' Blake Lively 'Devastated' As Judge Tosses Baldoni Harassment Claims, Vows to Fight On: Report

Blake Lively suffered a major setback in her lawsuit against 'It Ends With Us' director Justin Baldoni in Los Angeles on Thursday, 2 April, after a judge threw out 10 of her 13 claims, including allegations of sexual harassment, according to court filings and a source close to the actor. Lively, 38, filed the suit against Baldoni, 42, and production company Wayfarer Studios in December 2024, alleging misconduct during the making of It Ends With Us and a subsequent 'retaliatory smear campaign' against her. The remaining claims, focused on breach of contract and alleged retaliation, mean Lively is still heading for trial, but with a significantly narrower case than she originally brought.

Entertainment journalist Rob Shuter reported that Lively was 'devastated' by the judge's decision, with an unnamed source saying the actress had not expected to see the bulk of her case dismissed at this stage. She has, however, signalled she intends to continue the fight through the surviving claims.

Blake Lively 'Devastated' As Key Harassment Claims Fall Away

'She's devastated,' the source told Star Magazine. 'This is not the outcome she expected. She's angry. She feels like her story isn't being fully heard.'

The reaction reflects the weight the dismissed claims carried in Lively's original case. Sexual harassment allegations are among the most serious a performer can level against a director and colleagues, and to see those claims struck out before a jury hears them is both a legal and reputational blow.

According to the same source, Lively is not backing away from the courtroom fight. Three of her claims survived the defence bid to dismiss and will proceed to trial, including a breach of contract claim and a retaliation claim under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) against Wayfarer Studios.

'She's not quitting,' the source insisted. 'She's digging in. This just became a different fight. She wants her day in court, and she's determined to get it. The pressure is higher now. She has less room for error — and a lot more to prove.'

None of those remarks has been independently verified, and they reflect the perspective of one unnamed source. The court's detailed reasoning has not yet been fully aired in public, and until trial evidence is presented, the underlying allegations remain unproven and should be treated with caution.

Legal Teams Clash Over Narrowed Blake Lively Case

In December 2024, when Lively first filed suit, her legal team accused Baldoni and others of a pattern of harassment, defamation, and conspiracy surrounding the production of 'It Ends With Us'. The filing alleged that, after she resisted certain conduct on set, Baldoni and his associates attempted to harm her reputation and career.

The judge has now dismissed claims tied to harassment, defamation and conspiracy, effectively removing most of the individual defendants from the case. What remains is a more conventional dispute focused on whether contracts were breached and whether Wayfarer retaliated against Lively in violation of FEHA.

Hours after the ruling became public on Thursday, Baldoni's lawyers moved quickly to frame the judgment as a vindication on the most explosive points.

'We're very pleased the Court dismissed all sexual harassment claims and every claim brought against the individual defendants: Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel,' attorneys Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach of Shapiro Arato Bach said in a statement to People.

'These were very serious allegations, and we are grateful to the Court for its careful review of the facts, law and voluminous evidence that was provided,' they added. 'What's left is a significantly narrowed case, and we look forward to presenting our defence to the remaining claims in court.'

For Lively, who built a carefully managed public image over two decades in Hollywood, the risk is twofold. She must reportedly now convince a jury on a thinner legal theory while defending her decision to bring allegations that a judge has already decided will not be tested at trial.

For Baldoni, the dismissal of the most damaging claims removes a significant cloud, but the remaining case still poses reputational and financial hazards. What neither side has yet done is lay out, in full, how they plan to argue the surviving claims.

Until they do, much of what is being said about Lively's mood and strategy is coming through intermediaries and unnamed sources rather than sworn testimony. Nothing has been conclusively proven, and the questions at the heart of this dispute will ultimately be decided in a courtroom, not in the court of public opinion.