N.Y. judge tosses Justin Baldoni's $400M lawsuit against Blake Lively
1 of 3 | Actress Blake Lively (L) and husband Ryan Reynolds (R) arrived April 9 on the red carpet at the 2025 TIME100 Gala Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 9 (UPI) -- A New York judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400M lawsuit against actress Blake Lively.
Federal Judge Lewis Liman of New York's southern district accepted the motion to dismiss the multi-million-dollar counter lawsuit filed by Baldoni that alleged defamation and extortion. In addition, the judge, likewise, tossed out a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
"The [parties in the suit known as the] Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged," Liman wrote in his 132-page ruling.
"The Wayfarer Parties' additional claims also fail," the judge added. "Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety."
However, Liman noted that Baldoni, 41, will still have the legal option to amend his claims for breach of implied covenant and contract interference with a June 23 deadline.
The It Ends With Us director Baldoni was accused in December of sexual harassment by his co-star Lively, which Baldoni claimed was "categorically false."
In January, Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times over an article that "falsely" detailed Lively's allegations during filming.
Lively, 37, claimed in her California Civil Rights Department complaint filed Dec. 20 that the harassment damaged her business and caused her family, including husband actor Ryan Reynolds, "severe emotional distress" and after the suit alleged Reynolds called Baldoni a "sexual predator."
On Monday, lawyers for Lively -- Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb -- called the court decision a "total victory and a complete vindication."
"As we have said from day one, this $400 million lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it," they said in the statement, adding they look forward to the "next round," which will be to seek attorney fees, treble and punitive damages.
Discovery+ announced plans in March to air a docuseries in Britain this month called Baldoni vs. Lively: A Hollywood Feud.
Meanwhile, the trial for Baldoni and Lively, which was scheduled for March 26, was expected to see both names testify.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Judge Dismisses Justin Baldoni's Lawsuit Against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, The New York Times
Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and The New York Times was dismissed by a judge on Monday, according to court documents obtained by HuffPost. The news marks the latest in the tumultuous back-and-forth legal battle that stems from the film 'It Ends With Us,' which Baldoni directed and starred in. Lively, who is married to Reynolds, starred in the film as well. Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, Reynolds and Lively's publicist, Leslie Sloane, in January, claiming that they attempted to extort and defame him with sexual harassment claims and that the two actors tried to take control of his film. He also claimed in a defamation suit that the Times had falsely reported that he had created a smear campaign against Lively. Baldoni's countersuit also lists the film producer Jamey Heath, Wayfarer partner Steve Sarowitz and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel as plaintiffs. However, Judge Lewis J. Liman of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan argued that Lively had relied on 'legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions' rather than extortion. Liman also said that Lively's statements accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment are privileged because they were made in a California Civil Rights Department complaint and therefore not considered defamation. Additionally, Liman wrote that Baldoni's claim that Reynolds, Sloane and the Times defamed him does not hold up because the suit does not prove that any of the parties 'seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them.' In a 132-page opinion, the judge explicitly wrote that the Wayfarer Parties, which refer to Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and others in the company, 'have not adequately alleged that Lively's threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions. Additionally, the Wayfarer Parties have not shown that some of Lively's allegedly extortionate acts damaged them.' (Baldoni is a co-founder of Wayfarer Studios, an independent production studio involved in the film.) '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 opinion also stated. 'The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and 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. 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.' 'The Times had no obvious motive to favor Lively's version of events,' Liman added.'The Wayfarer Parties' additional claims also fail. Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety.' While the judge dismissed the lawsuit, Baldoni is allowed to file an amended complaint by June 23. However, he may only include claims relevant to breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with a contract, which were also included in his complaint. Lively's lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb told HuffPost that the ruling is 'a total victory and a complete vindication.' 'As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,' the statement continued. The attorneys said they will be seeking attorneys' fees, and treble and punitive damages from Baldoni and other Wayfarer Studios parties. Sigrid McCawley, Sloane's attorney, told HuffPost in a statement on Monday that she was 'wrongfully dragged' into this lawsuit in an attempt to damage her reputation. 'Today's decision by the Court makes clear that Sloane did nothing wrong. Sloane stands fully vindicated, and justice has been served,' McCawley said. The New York Times celebrated the lawsuit's dismissal in a statement to HuffPost. 'We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting,' a spokesperson for the Times said. 'Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism. We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.' Lively's lawsuit was filed in New York in December. 'For years prior to the release of the Film, Mr. Baldoni portrayed himself asa leader of the male feminist movement, writing books, hosting podcasts, and holding TED Talks on the topic. In reality, however, Mr. Baldoni's public persona is a stark contrast to his private behavior, which is replete with hypocrisy, misogyny, and retaliation,' Lively's attorneys wrote in her complaint. Baldoni's countersuit argued that Lively and Reynolds used their prestige 'to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio.' It added that Baldoni and Wayfarer only took legal action because Lively had 'unequivocally left them with no choice, not only to set the record straight…But also to put the spotlight on the parts of Hollywood that they have dedicated their careers to being the antithesis of.' The trial is expected to start in March 2026. Representatives for Reynolds, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios did not immediately reply to HuffPost's request for comment. Blake Lively's Lawyer Accused Of Threatening To Leak Taylor Swift Texts Blake Lively Accuses Justin Baldoni Of Making Women On 'It Ends With Us' Set Uncomfortable Justin Baldoni Reportedly Admits He 'F***ed Up' In Voice Note Apology To Blake Lively
UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
Sly Stone, of '60s funk band Sly and the Family Stone, dies at 82
1 of 4 | Sly Stone, frontman of the group Sly and the Family Stone, performs in concert at Olympia Hall in Paris on July 23, 2007. Stone, who had been a recluse since the mid-1980s, died Monday at the age of 82 after a "prolonged battle" with lung disease. File Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo June 9 (UPI) -- Sly Stone, the legendary Sixties and Seventies funk singer, songwriter and producer of the band, Sly and the Family Stone, died Monday at the age of 82. Stone, whose hits included "Dance to the Music," "Everyday People" and "Thank You," had been fighting a "prolonged battle" with lung disease and other health issues when he died, according to his family. "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone," his family wrote Monday in a statement. "Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend and his extended family. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come." Stone was born Sylvester Stewart in Texas in 1943 and released his first single, "On the Battlefield," with his two sisters and brother, in 1952. A friend's misspelling of his name during grade school stuck, and he became known as "Sly." Stone later found success in California as a disc jockey on KSOL and KDIA, where he "found out about a lot of things I don't like. Like, I think there shouldn't be 'Black radio.' Just radio. Everybody be a part of everything," he said. The musician also worked as a record producer for Autumn Records, where he produced San Francisco-area bands. One of his singles, Bobby Freeman's "C'mon and Swim," reached No. 5 on the U.S. pop chart in 1964, while "Somebody to Love" by Grace Slick's band the Great Society, before Jefferson Airplane, was also a hit. Sly and the Family Stone was formed in 1966 after he, his sister Rose, brother Freddie and two cousins joined forces, along with other Black and White musicians, to make up one of the first racially mixed bands. Stone was also among the first musicians to do both vocals and play instruments, as can be heard in the funk-infused 1969 hit "Thank You," where he recounted his life's successes and addictions. Stone later called the band's early morning performance of "I Want to Take You Higher" and the crowd's reaction at 1969 Woodstock "legendary," in his 2023 memoir Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). "The call, the response. It felt like church. The horns went up into the sky. When the show was over, we were wet and cold. I don't remember how I left, maybe the same way I came in, but I wasn't there to see Jimi Hendrix close the festival," Stone wrote. Other hits, including "Family Affair" and "Hot Fun in the Summertime" followed as the music turned darker to acknowledge the turbulent times of the 1960s and '70s, which included the Vietnam War, racial tensions and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy. A new documentary produced by Questlove, called Sly Lives! (Aka The Burden of Black Genius), focuses on Stone's music and torment. "I think that's kind of his like, help the medicine go down approach," Questlove told Rolling Stone in March. "He paints a very dark, lyric, paranoia, self-confessional thing almost in every record, but it's so happy-sounding." Sly and the Family Stone broke apart over Stone's drug abuse, including his arrest in 1981 when cocaine and freebasing paraphernalia were found in his car. The singer-songwriter went into seclusion after the band called it quits. By 2011, the funk music icon was homeless and living out of a van in Los Angeles, when he was again arrested for cocaine possession and insisted he "was ok." In 2015, he was awarded $5 million in a lawsuit against a former manager and attorney who were diverting his royalties. Two years later, he received a lifetime achievement award at The Grammys. "Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk and rock music," his family said. "His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world and his influence remains undeniable." Notable deaths of 2025 Jill Sobule Jill Sobule attends the GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 30, 2023. Sobule, the Jill Sobule attends the GLAAD Media Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 30, 2023. Sobule, the singer-songwriter behind "I Kissed a Girl," "Living Color" and "Supermodel," died at the age of 66 on May 2 from a house fire. Photo by Greg Grudt/UPI | License Photo
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
N.Y. judge tosses Justin Baldoni's $400M lawsuit against Blake Lively
June 9 (UPI) -- A New York judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400M lawsuit against actress Blake Lively. Federal Judge Lewis Liman of New York's southern district accepted the motion to dismiss the multi-million-dollar counter lawsuit filed by Baldoni that alleged defamation and extortion. In addition, the judge, likewise, tossed out a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. "The [parties in the suit known as the] Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged," Liman wrote in his 132-page ruling. "The Wayfarer Parties' additional claims also fail," the judge added. "Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety." However, Liman noted that Baldoni, 41, will still have the legal option to amend his claims for breach of implied covenant and contract interference with a June 23 deadline. The It Ends With Us director Baldoni was accused in December of sexual harassment by his co-star Lively, which Baldoni claimed was "categorically false." In January, Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times over an article that "falsely" detailed Lively's allegations during filming. Lively, 37, claimed in her California Civil Rights Department complaint filed Dec. 20 that the harassment damaged her business and caused her family, including husband actor Ryan Reynolds, "severe emotional distress" and after the suit alleged Reynolds called Baldoni a "sexual predator." On Monday, lawyers for Lively -- Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb -- called the court decision a "total victory and a complete vindication." "As we have said from day one, this $400 million lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it," they said in the statement, adding they look forward to the "next round," which will be to seek attorney fees, treble and punitive damages. Discovery+ announced plans in March to air a docuseries in Britain this month called Baldoni vs. Lively: A Hollywood Feud. Meanwhile, the trial for Baldoni and Lively, which was scheduled for March 26, was expected to see both names testify.
