Judge cuts down Blake Lively claims against Justin Baldoni

In the latest plot twist straight out of a Hollywood script, Blake Lively just saw most of her lawsuit against co-star Justin VBaldoni tossed out – though not entirely.

A federal judge, Lewis Liman, dismissed 10 out of 13 claims tied to Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment and defamation. Yes, that sounds brutal – but here’s the catch: the story is not over yet.

Three claims are still very much alive – breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding retaliation – and they are headed for a civil trial in New York on 18 May. Cue courtroom drama.

The feud traces back to the set of It Ends With Us, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. Lively accused Baldoni of harassment and running what her team calls a “co-ordinated campaign” to wreck her reputation. Baldoni has denied it all – and even fired back with now-dismissed $400m countersuit.

Lively’s lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, insists the case is far from weakened, saying it “has always been and will remain focused on the devastating retaliation…”

She also noted the harassment claims were dropped “not because the defendants did nothing wrong”, but due to legal technicalities.

Judge Liman, for his part, did not mince words: “much of what Lively complains about is not actionable.” Still, he admitted some alleged behavior may have “arguably crossed the line.”

And about texts? Even Taylor Swift reportedly appears in evidence.

The legal battle just lost a few chapters – but the juiciest scenes might still be ahead.