Maybe Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are headed to court after all. According to the latest reports, the ‘It Ends With Us’ stars refused to reach a settlement during court discussions in New York on Monday.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni reject settlement talks
According to reports from the Daily Mail, the representatives rejected last-ditch efforts to resolve the matter before referring it to trial. Judge Sarah Cave conducted back-to-back remote meetings with legal teams on both sides as part of the settlement process. However, no agreement was reached during the closed proceedings. Further discussions are possible in the coming weeks.
Judge rejects 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims
The settlement talks come days after Judge Louis Lehman dismissed 10 of 13 lawsuits Lively filed against Baldoni, including all sexual harassment allegations.
Regarding the allegations that Baldoni’s actions regarding adding unscripted kisses to a scene, Judge Lehman wrote: “Creative performers, like comedy room writers, should have some degree of leeway to experiment within the confines of an agreed-upon script without fear of being exposed to liability for sexual harassment.
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What did Judge Lyman say about Blake Lively’s claims?
The judge also rejected claims that Baldoni had “shamed” Lively, stating that “the physical appearance of the protagonists was part of the product that the producers intended to present to the public.”
Applauding the actress, he added: “Lively herself recognized that achieving a ‘certain aesthetic’ was ‘part of the job we enthusiastically signed up for.’Many of Lively’s claims were dismissed on the grounds that she failed to sign an actor’s loan agreement, which would have governed sexual harassment. The court also stated that Lively also did not qualify as an employee because she exercised insufficient control over the production.
About Blake Lively’s remaining three charges against Justin Baldoni
The case, which is likely to go to court on May 18, will now focus on three remaining claims including breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation. Baldoni denied all charges. Lively filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation during the filming of “It Ends With Us.”
