Brandon Sklenar Addresses Wearing Same Pin as 'It Ends With Us' Director Justin Baldoni
Did Brandon Sklenar wear the same floral pin as his 'It Ends With Us' director and co-star Justin Baldoni on purpose? He's setting the record straight. When Sklenar showed up at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar party, Internet sleuths noticed he was wearing a pink, floral brooch that appeared to match the one Baldoni sported at the 'It Ends With Us' premiere in New York back in August of last year. Amid the ongoing legal dispute between Baldoni and actress Blake Lively, observers speculated about what message Sklenar was trying to send by wearing the accessory.
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Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's lawsuits against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and New York Times
A New York judge has tossed out Justin Baldoni's $400-million US defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, while also dismissing a $250-million US defamation suit against the New York Times for reporting on Lively's claims of sexual harassment during the filming of the 2024 movie It Ends With Us. Judge Lewis J. Liman granted the motions to dismiss the suits from Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios on Monday, saying Lively was not liable for sexual misconduct claims against the 41-year-old because they were made in a civil rights complaint and are legally protected. In his written opinion, Liman noted Baldoni and Wayfarer had not alleged Lively was liable for any other claims than the ones made in her civil suit. In her own lawsuit, Lively, 37, has accused Baldoni of harassment, alleging that he and Wayfarer conducted a co-ordinated smear campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set. Baldoni, too, has accused the actor of trying to destroy his reputation. Liman wrote that Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloan and the New York Times also did not make statements beyond what Lively had alleged about Baldoni. "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 opinion reads. Liman is allowing Baldoni to amend some of his claims and refile by June 23. WATCH | Blake Lively accuses It Ends With Us director, co-star of trying to 'destroy' her reputation: Lively's legal team celebrated Monday's decision. "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," Lively's lawyers said in a statement published by Variety. "As we have said from Day 1, 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." Baldoni's suit, filed in December, sought at least $400 million in damages that include lost future income. Lively filed her own federal lawsuit against Baldoni and several others tied to It Ends With Us, alleging harassment and a co-ordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set of the romantic drama. That suit was filed in New York just hours after Baldoni and many of the other defendants in Lively's suit sued The New York Times for libel for its story on her allegations, saying the newspaper and the star were the ones conducting a co-ordinated smear campaign. WATCH | Duelling lawsuits from It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni:
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21 minutes ago
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Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
A judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against Hollywood power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, a major development in the ongoing civil litigation between former co-stars Lively and Baldoni. In January, Baldoni sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging that the Hollywood couple sought to 'destroy' him and his career, after hijacking his film, 'It Ends With Us.' Baldoni's complaint escalated the ongoing legal battle stemming from the film that Baldoni directed and co-starred in with Lively. In a statement, Lively's lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb called the ruling '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 added. Motions to dismiss Baldoni's claims by Lively, Reynolds and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, were all granted. The judge also granted a motion to dismiss by the New York Times. Baldoni had sued the publication for $250 million for libel, claiming that the newspaper published an article 'rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions' that relied on Lively's 'self-serving narrative.' The judge ruled that Baldoni can file an amended complaint on the allegations of tortious interference with contract, relating to Reynolds and Lively, and breach of implied covenant, relating to Lively, by June 23, if they choose to do so. CNN has reached out to representatives for Baldoni and the New York Times for comment. The ongoing saga between Lively and Baldoni erupted in December 2024, when Lively first filed a civil rights complaint, claiming that she was sexually harassed by Baldoni during production of the film and then was retaliated against for speaking up about her alleged mistreatment. Baldoni immediately denied Lively's claims. Lively eventually escalated her civil rights complaint, officially filing a lawsuit against Baldoni. She alleged that after being sexually harassed with inappropriate comments and behavior on set, Baldoni's team then orchestrated a smear campaign against her to ruin her reputation in the public sphere. Lively's complaint contained hundreds of text messages between Baldoni and his crisis PR team, including one text that read they could 'bury' her. Since, the legal teams for both stars have been in a bitter and public back-and-forth that at one point saw superstar Taylor Swift subpoenaed in the case. Baldoni's lawyers eventually withdrew the subpoena. Baldoni's team at one point launched a public website containing documents pertaining to the litigation and a 'timeline of relevant events.' This story is developing and will be updated.
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21 minutes ago
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Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds dismissed
Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against his "It Ends With Us" co-star Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, was dismissed by a federal judge on Monday, according to court documents. Baldoni accused the couple, along with Lively's publicist, Leslie Sloane, of civil extortion and defamation after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation in a complaint filed in December. Baldoni has denied the accusations. Baldoni also sued The New York Times, which was first to report Lively's sexual harassment complaint. That lawsuit was also dismissed Monday. Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios, which was a plaintiff in his suit, are able to amend some of the claims by June 23, the judge ruled. Lawyers for Lively called the judge's 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," attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb said in a statement. Representatives for Baldoni did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Kristi Noem says "we are not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen" amid L.A. crackdown Magic in the dark: The fantastical worlds of Lightwire Theater Trump blasts Newsom as "grossly incompetent" as tensions rise over L.A. protests
