Baldoni Battles Insurer in Harassment Lawsuit Showdown

On October 24, 2025, director Justin Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios filed a motion to dismiss or stay Harco National Insurance Company's July lawsuit. Harco had sued in an attempt to get a court ruling stating their policies do not cover the sexual harassment claims made by actress Blake Lively against Wayfarer.

In the 17-page motion, Baldoni's team accuses Harco of "forum shopping" by filing the lawsuit in New York, despite Wayfarer and the film "It Ends With Us" being based in California, where Lively's lawsuit against Wayfarer is being handled. Baldoni's lawyers argue that Harco chose New York because it believed the courts there would be more favorable to insurance companies.

Harco was the insurer for Wayfarer Studios on the "It Ends With Us" film. The insurance company sued Baldoni and Wayfarer in July, asking a court to declare that it is not responsible for covering legal expenses related to Lively's claims. Harco argues its $2 million policy does not apply because the alleged misconduct occurred before Wayfarer was insured, and that it was never notified of Lively's complaints during production.

Baldoni's team is now requesting the court grant their motion to dismiss or stay Harco's lawsuit while the California lawsuit between Lively and Wayfarer continues.