Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni may go to court. According to recent reports, the ‘It Ends With Us’ stars have both refused to reach a settlement during court-led discussions in New York on Monday.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have refused settlement talks
According to Daily Mail reports, the actors rejected last-ditch efforts to settle the case before it went to trial. Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave held remote conferences with legal teams from both sides as part of the settlement process. However, no agreement was reached behind closed doors. There may still be more discussion in the coming weeks.
The judge dismissed 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims
The settlement talks come days after Judge Lewis Liman dismissed 10 of Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including all allegations of sexual harassment. As Baldoni’s actions allegedly included unscripted kissing on stage, Judge Liman wrote: “Creative artists, no less than writers in the comedy room, should have a certain amount of space to experiment within an agreed-upon script without fear of being held liable for sexual harassment.“
What Judge Liman had to say about Blake Lively’s allegations
The judge also dismissed Baldoni as having “fat shamed” Lively, declaring that “the physical appearance of the protagonists was part of the product that the producers wanted to offer to the public”.Applauding the actress, he added: “Lively herself admitted that achieving a ‘certain aesthetic’ was ‘part of the job we were both excited to sign on for.’Several of Lively’s claims were dismissed on the grounds that she had not signed an actress loan agreement that would have governed sexual harassment. The court also found that Lively also did not qualify as an employee because she exercised sufficient control over the production.
Blake Lively on her three remaining charges against Justin Baldoni
The case, which is likely to go to trial on May 18, will now focus on the remaining three claims, which include breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting retaliation. Baldoni has denied all the charges. Lively filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation during the filming of ‘It Ends With Us’.
