Justin Baldoni urges judge to toss Blake Lively's lawsuit

A lawyer for actor Justin Baldoni has urged a federal judge on Thursday to dismiss actor Blake Lively's lawsuit stemming from their 2024 movie "It Ends with Us,” saying her harassment and retaliation case was built on “petty slights.”

Lawyers for Lively rejected that characterisation, accusing Baldoni and other defendants of taking liberties during the film's production to promote an atmosphere that marginalised women, and then lashing out publicly when she complained.

Lively, 38, accused Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in It Ends with Us, and his Wayfarer Studios of coordinating a scheme to silence her and others from speaking out about the hostile environment they allegedly created on the film's set.

US District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan heard three hours of arguments on whether the case should continue.

These followed an acrimonious, 13-month battle that transfixed Hollywood and involved celebrities including Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds and longtime friend Taylor Swift.

Liman did not say when he would rule. Lively is seeking unspecified damages for alleged harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy and violations of federal and state civil rights laws. A trial is scheduled for May 18.

BALDONI'S LAWYER CALLS ALLEGATIONS 'SMALL POTATOES'

Thursday's hearing followed this week's release of thousands of pages of documents, including messages between Lively and Swift, with a December 5, 2024, text where the superstar singer likened Lively and Baldoni's relationship to "a horror film no one knows is taking place."

Jonathan Bach, a lawyer for Baldoni, characterised Lively's case as being littered with "small potatoes," prompting the judge to say: "A whole bunch of little things can add up to a big thing."

LAWYER FOR LIVELY SAYS BALDONI CROSSED BOUNDARIES

Esra Hudson, a lawyer for Lively, countered that Baldoni's behavior was "consistently inappropriate and crossing boundaries," including by deviating from the script and adding unnecessary content.

Hudson said this included the birth scene, as well as a dance sequence in which Baldoni allegedly "nuzzled" Lively without consent.

Liman questioned whether some individual defendants, including Baldoni and Wayfarer Chief Executive Jamey Heath, should be held responsible for others' conduct, and how closely Baldoni was required to adhere to the script.

"Your proposition would seem to have every director's decision decided by a jury, and that can't be right," Liman told Hudson.

In seeking a dismissal, lawyers for Baldoni said he resolved Lively's concerns, including over her physical appearance, as soon as she raised them, and that he had a right to hire a crisis management firm after Lively began disparaging him publicly.

BALDONI LAWSUITS AGAINST LIVELY, NEW YORK TIMES PREVIOUSLY DISMISSED

The dispute burst into public view in mid-December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by her lawsuit, and a New York Times article titled: "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine."

Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and Reynolds of trying to destroy his reputation, but Liman dismissed that case in June. The judge also dismissed Baldoni's related $250 million defamation case against the Times.

It Ends with Us generated mixed reviews but grossed more than $351 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.