Justin Baldoni plans to keep at his legal battle with “It Ends With Us” co-star Blake Lively after a judge dismissed his $400 million defamation lawsuit against her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
“Ms. Lively and her team’s predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling,” Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman on Tuesday said in a statement to Variety. “While the court dismissed the defamation related claims, the court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations. This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign, which Ms. Lively’s own team conveniently describes as ‘untraceable’ because they cannot prove what never happened.”
Freedman’s statement continued, “Most importantly, Ms. Lively’s own claims are no truer today than they were yesterday, and with the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms. Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking. We are grateful for the organic show of support from the public and for the dedication of the Internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity.”
On Monday, a judge tossed out the entire lawsuit filed by Baldoni that accused Lively and Reynolds of extortion and other claims. Judge Lewis J. Liman, who found that Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment were legally protected and therefore immune from suit, allowed Baldoni to amend and refile a couple of allegations regarding interference with contracts.
Baldoni’s lawsuit against The New York Times, which Baldoni claimed had conspired with Lively and Reynolds to destroy his career with false allegations, was also dismissed.
“As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the court saw right through it,” Lively’s lawyers said on June 9 after the dismissal. “We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni […] and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
Later on Tuesday, Lively’s lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb responded to Baldoni’s vow to “march forward” with his case. “No amount of spin, bluster, or creative accounting from Baldoni’s legal team will change the embarrassing reality staring them in the face: the plan to sue Blake Lively and her family into oblivion has been a complete and total failure,” they said in a statement.
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Lively has sued Baldoni in federal court for sexual harassment and retaliation, alleging the director and producers of “It Ends With Us” launched a smear campaign against her after she complained about the conditions on the film’s set. A trial on Lively’s complaint against Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, has been set for March 2026.
From Variety US