The courtroom saga that has been simmering since last winter is nowhere near over.
A federal judge in New York ruled this week that Blake Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against her *It Ends With Us* director and co-star Justin Baldoni can move forward, denying a significant portion of his team's motion to dismiss.
The decision means depositions, discovery, and what could be a very ugly trial are all still on the table.
For anyone who lost the thread: Lively filed suit in December, alleging that Baldoni and his production company created a hostile work environment during filming and then orchestrated a smear campaign against her when she pushed back.
Baldoni countersued, accusing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds of defamation and extortion.
Both sides have denied the other's claims, and the dueling filings have produced a steady drip of leaked texts, emails, and behind-the-scenes accounts that have kept the story alive for months.
What makes this week's ruling notable is what the judge let stand.
Several claims survived, meaning Lively's legal team can now pursue evidence through discovery.
That process tends to produce the kind of receipts the internet devours — messages, contracts, meeting notes, and witness testimony that rarely stays sealed for long.
If past is prologue, expect a fresh wave of headlines every time a new document drops.
Baldoni's attorneys have framed the ruling as a partial win, pointing out that some claims were trimmed.
Lively's side has characterized it as a green light to keep going.
Both statements can be technically true, which is exactly how these fights are fought in public — each side claiming momentum while the actual legal machinery grinds on behind the scenes.
The broader Hollywood angle is hard to ignore. *It Ends With Us* was a box office success, and its sequel potential now hangs in limbo.
Studios are watching closely because the case touches on how intimacy coordinators, PR teams, and crisis managers operate on set and off.
Whatever the outcome, the discovery phase is likely to pull back the curtain on an industry playbook that usually stays hidden.
For viewers, the strange part is how the movie itself has become almost secondary.
A film about domestic violence has been overshadowed by a real-life conflict that plays out in court filings and press statements.
Fans who once debated the ending now debate legal motions.
That shift says as much about celebrity culture in 2025 as it does about this specific dispute.
Court dates will stretch into next year, and settlement talks are always possible — most of these cases never reach a jury.
But the discovery window is where the story tends to get loudest, and it's opening now.
Our take: the public has already picked sides, which means the actual legal outcome may matter less than the narrative each camp can sell.
Final Thoughts
What's clear is that this isn't fading quietly, and the next few months will test how much of Hollywood's inner workings gets dragged into daylight.