Major update as judge dismisses Justin Baldoni’s $400m lawsuit against Blake Lively
The actor had countersued his It Ends With Us co-star
Judge Lewis J Liman has dismissed Justin Baldoni's countersuit against Blake Lively.The actor brought the $400 million (£295 million) lawsuit after his It Ends With Us co-star filed a legal complaint against him last year.
Filed by Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, it alleged extortion and defamation. But today (9 June), the New York judge granted the motions to toss out both this and his $250 million (£184 million) defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
In December 2024, the Gossip Girl actor filed a suit against Baldoni's Wayfarer Studios, alleging she was sexually harassed on the set of the summer film. Among other allegations, she alleged he attempted a 'social manipulation campaign' with his behaviour causing ‘severe emotional distress’ for both the star and her family.
The pair starred in It Ends With Us which Baldoni also directed (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Lively shared the details of much of this in an article for the New York Times, published when her lawsuit was filed. Baldoni's lawyer slammed it as 'categorically false allegations'.
In his opinion today, the judge concluded that evidence didn't show that the news outlet 'acted with actual malice' in publishing the story on the star's allegations.
"The alleged facts indicate that the Times reviewed the available evidence and reported, perhaps in a dramatised manner, what it believed to have happened," Judge Liman wrote. "The Times had no obvious motive to favour Lively's version of events."
Baldoni's lawsuit had focused on the claim that his co-star had 'stole the film' from him and Wayfarer by threatening not to promote it. The judge also explained it focused on a second claim that Lively and others promoted a false narrative of Baldoni sexually assaulting her and launching a smear campaign.
However, Judge Liman wrote that the actor and his company 'have not adequately alleged that Lively's threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions'.
Baldoni had launched a defamation suit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist and the New York Times (Aeon/GC Images)
He added that they also have not proved defamation because the 'Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements' in her lawsuit (which are privileged). The judge said Baldoni can amend and refile his allegations related to interference with contracts by 23 June.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Lively's attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb said: "Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times.
"As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it.
"We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, [Steve] Sarowitz, [Melissa] Nathan and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation."
LADbible has contacted Justin Baldoni's team for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty Images
