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Justin Baldoni was just dealt a major legal blow.
The actor-director’s highly publicized $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively was just dismissed by a judge serving the Southern District of New York.
Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and the couple’s publicist were also named in the suit. Baldoni’s suit against the New York Times has been dismissed as well.
Baldoni suffers stunning legal setback
Moments ago, Judge Lewis J. Liman granted the motion to dismiss extortion and defamation claims against Lively and Reynolds, as well as the $250 million defamation suit against the Times.
Of course, today’s news does not mean that Baldoni and Lively’s messy legal battle — which stems from their time working together on the 2024 film It Ends With Us — has come to an end.
For starters, Judge Liman’s decision allows Baldoni and his business partners to amend their claims of breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract and to resubmit their suit with a June 23 deadline.
“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged,” the judge wrote in the opinion and order filing obtained by People.
“The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign,” the decision continues.
“But the Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law.”
Given how much is at stake, Baldoni will almost certainly amend the complaint and re-file.
And on top of that, he’s still being sued by Lively, with that trial set to head to court in March of 2026.
Lively’s legal team declares ‘total victory’
Of course, despite those complications, Blake’s attorneys are treating today’s decision as a major win.
A statement issued by lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb describes today’s decision as a “total victory and a complete vindication” for Lively and the others whom “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,” the attorneys said, adding, “We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages” from the Wayfarer parties who “perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
Again, this fight is far from over. But we’re Blake is in a celebratory mood today.
Not only has Baldoni’s suit been dismissed, but today’s decision bodes well for the sexual harassment suit she filed against her former co-star in December of last year.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
