Baldoni won't back down after judge tosses lawsuit against Blake Lively
NEW YORK — Justin Baldoni isn't deterred after a New York judge tossed his blockbuster defamation lawsuit in response to Blake Lively's suit accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of 'It Ends With Us' and a retaliatory smear campaign.
Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman, speaking with TMZ Tuesday, slammed the 'Gossip Girl' star's 'false' victory lap and said he fully intends to forge ahead with an amended complaint by month's end.
'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,' said Freedman.
In December, the 'Gossip Girl' star, 37, filed a civil rights complaint and lawsuit accusing her 'It Ends With Us' director and co-star, 41, of sexual harassment while filming the domestic violence drama. and spearheading a smear campaign against her after. Those claims went viral after The New York Times' exposé, 'We Can Bury Anyone.'
Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the publication and, in January, filed a $400 million suit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane for alleged defamation and civil extortion.
Liman on Monday tossed both of Baldoni's suits, adding that Baldoni has until June 23 to amend the claims for breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contact.
'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,' said Freedman. '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.'
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