Thursday’s court ruling in the Blake Lively versus Justin Baldoni legal battle was a mixed result — and both sides immediately claimed it as a win. A judge dismissed the majority of Lively’s claims, including all sexual harassment allegations. But three key claims survived and are heading to trial: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation. Lively’s team says that’s exactly where they want to be.

Lively’s Team: “This Case Is Going to Trial — and She’s Ready”

Rather than retreating after Thursday’s dismissals, Lively’s legal team came out swinging. Attorney Sigrid McCawley told Page Six that the case has always been about one thing: the alleged coordinated campaign to destroy Lively’s reputation after she spoke up about safety on set — and that case, McCawley says, is very much alive.

“The greatest measure of justice is that the people and the playbook behind these coordinated digital attacks have been exposed and are already being held accountable by other women they’ve targeted.”

— Sigrid McCawley, Blake Lively’s attorney

McCawley added that Lively is actively looking forward to taking the stand at trial and using the platform to shine a light on coordinated online retaliation — a tactic she wants to make easier to identify and fight. On the dismissal of sexual harassment claims specifically, McCawley was direct: the court ruled those claims out not because nothing wrong occurred, but because it determined Lively was an independent contractor rather than an employee — a legal distinction that determines which harassment protections apply.

Baldoni’s Side Declares Victory on the Dismissed Claims

Attorneys for Baldoni and the other individual defendants — Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel — were equally quick to respond, framing the dismissals as a significant legal vindication.

“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.”

— Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach, Baldoni’s attorneys

They described what remains as “a significantly narrowed case” and said they look forward to presenting their defence at trial. For Baldoni’s team, getting all sexual harassment claims thrown out — along with every claim against the individual defendants — is a meaningful legal win, whatever comes next.

How This Lawsuit Got Here — A Timeline of the Fallout

The legal dispute grew out of what had already been months of visible tension between Lively and Baldoni during promotional events for their film It Ends With Us — a domestic violence-themed drama that Baldoni directed and Lively co-starred in. In December 2024, Lively filed a formal complaint accusing Baldoni of on-set sexual harassment and retaliation.

She followed that with a lawsuit seeking at least $161 million in damages, alleging Baldoni had orchestrated a coordinated smear campaign targeting her reputation as the film hit theatres. Baldoni denied all of it and hit back hard — filing a $400 million countersuit against both Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds. That countersuit was dismissed by the same judge last June.

What Happens Next — and Why the Trial Still Matters

With three claims surviving to trial, this case is far from over. The retaliation and breach of contract claims at the centre of what remains are serious, and Lively’s legal team has made clear they intend to use the courtroom to make a broader point about how online reputation attacks are weaponised against women who speak out.

The trial will now determine whether Baldoni and others are legally responsible for what Lively’s team describes as a deliberate, coordinated effort to damage her public standing. The question of accountability — not just for Lively, but for the tactics allegedly used — is what her attorneys say this was always about. And that question is now headed to a jury.