The high-profile conflict between actress Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni took an unexpected turn. The movie star lost to Baldoni in a legal battle – out of 13 lawsuits filed by the 38-year-old actress, only three remain; the court dismissed the most high-profile of them, including those related to sexual harassment by Baldoni, TMZ reports.
This is a conflict that arose around the film “Leave It If You Love Me,” in which Lively and Baldoni worked together not only as actors but also as partners on the project.
Lively stated that during filming, the director allowed himself to give too many long kisses or hugs that went beyond the script. However, the court held that these moments constitute part of the creative process and do not provide sufficient grounds for legal liability.
Another argument was that the lawsuits were filed under California law, even though the filming itself took place in New Jersey. The court emphasized that applying a different jurisdiction in this case is incorrect. In addition, the judge concluded that the actress was not an employee. Therefore, some of the laws she cited do not apply to her.
But despite the defeat, Lively still has a chance to prove some of her claims within the framework of the three lawsuits that remain in the works. In particular, it concerns potential reputational damage and online bullying.