A judge has dismissed a lawsuit worth $400 million that Justin Baldoni filed against his co-star Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds in a federal court. This move represents a significant defeat for the beleaguered actor-director. Baldoni had alleged that the Hollywood couple, along with The New York Times, were involved in defamation, blackmail, and damaging his career.
Now, those claims are off the table, and the judge isn’t mincing words.
On Monday, Judge Lewis J. Liman threw out the entire lawsuit, determining that Lively’s claims of sexual harassment were legally safeguarded and thus unsuitable for a defamation case. The verdict further debunked Baldoni’s allegations of conspiracy against The New York Times, labeling them as lacking in legal substance.
Nevertheless, Baldoni remains resolute. His legal representative, Bryan Freedman, released a passionate declaration to Variety, asserting that the legal battle is far from resolved.
Freedman stated that the court discarded the defamation-related allegations but encouraged us to revise four out of seven accusations directed at Ms. Lively. He explained, “This lawsuit revolves around false claims of sexual harassment and retaliation, along with an unsubstantiated smear campaign. Interestingly, Ms. Lively’s team labels these as ‘untraceable,’ because they cannot substantiate occurrences that allegedly never took place.
Furthermore, Freedman pledged to question Lively under oath and commended the persistent online investigators who are still following this ongoing case.
Despite the filing of the Baldoni lawsuit, Lively’s legal team remains unfazed. On Tuesday, they released a strong counterargument in response, denying the allegations made against their client.
Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb stated that no matter how Baldoni’s legal team tries to present things with spins, loud statements, or clever financial maneuvers, the undeniable truth before them remains disconcerting. Their strategy to sue Blake Lively and her family, aiming to make them disappear entirely, has been an absolute and complete flop.
In simpler terms, Baldoni’s recent attempt to involve The New York Times in his case has also been unsuccessful. The court found no evidence to support Baldoni’s claim that the newspaper had colluded with Lively and Reynolds to harm his reputation. According to Judge Liman, there was insufficient proof to proceed further.
As Baldoni’s case weakens, Blake Lively’s lawsuit against him and Wayfarer Studios continues to progress. In her federal lawsuit, Lively claims that Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of “It Ends With Us” and retaliated when she voiced concerns. Furthermore, she alleges a planned attempt to tarnish her reputation after she spoke out about these issues.
That case is scheduled to go to trial in March 2026.
A Legal Spectacle With Hollywood Stakes
In response to Lively’s allegations, Baldoni presented himself as the true victim, stating that the supposed smear campaign had ruined his career by causing numerous business deals to be canceled. He and his legal team filed a lawsuit for $400 million in an audacious—and apparently unsuccessful—attempt to change the public’s perception of the situation.
Currently, as the judge directly dismisses the defamation storyline and discards most of the initial accusations, Baldoni is now tasked with modifying some lingering contract-based lawsuit assertions. It’s unclear if these persisting claims will survive the upcoming examination.
It’s indisputable that Baldoni’s forceful legal strategies have not yielded positive results. Rather than regaining his reputation, he might find himself on the receiving end of a retaliation – potentially including requests for attorney fees, triple damages, and additional penalties.
In Hollywood, that kind of blowback can sting far worse than a flop at the box office.
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2025-06-12 18:59