Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's defamation claim against former co-star Blake Lively
A judge in the US has dismissed actor Justin Baldoni's $400m (£295m) defamation lawsuit against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively.
Baldoni filed the countersuit against his former co-star, 37, in response to her launching legal action accusing him of sexual harassment against her while filming the 2024 movie.
The 41-year-old had accused Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, the New York Times, and others of orchestrating a smear campaign to extort him.
He accused Lively of trying to "hijack" the movie and then blaming him when her "disastrous" promotional approach prompted an online backlash against her.
"It Ends With Us" garnered mixed reviews, but grossed more than $351m (£259m) worldwide, according to reports.
In a statement, lawyers representing Lively, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, said: "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.
"As we have said from day one, 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, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation."
Sky News has approached Baldoni's representatives for comment.
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