Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively
New York: A judge on Monday dismissed the lawsuit filed by actor and director Justin Baldoni against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively after she sued him for sexual harassment and retaliation.
US District Court Judge Lewis Liman's decision is the latest development in the bitter legal battle surrounding the dark romantic drama that includes Lively suing Baldoni in late December.
Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios countersued in January for $US400 million, accusing Lively and her husband, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.
The judge ruled that Baldoni can't sue Lively for defamation over claims she made in her lawsuit, because allegations made in a lawsuit are exempt from libel claims. Liman also ruled that Baldoni's claims that Lively stole creative control of the film didn't count as extortion under California law.
Baldoni's legal team can revise the lawsuit if they want to pursue different claims related to whether Lively breached a contract, the judge said.
Emails seeking comment were sent to attorneys for Baldoni and Lively.
It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling 2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, was released in August, exceeding box office expectations with a $US50 million debut. But the movie's release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.
The judge also dismissed Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, which had reported on Lively's sexual harassment allegations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively
A US judge has dismissed actor Justin Baldoni's $400 million (£295 million) defamation lawsuit against his former co-star, Blake Lively. Lively accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her while filming the 2024 movie It Ends With Us. Baldoni in turn accused Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, the New York Times and others of orchestrating a smear campaign against him. He accused Lively of trying to "hijack" the movie, then blame him when her "disastrous" promotional approach prompted an online backlash against her.
Sydney Morning Herald
12 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Blake Lively responds after $600 million suit against her thrown out
New York: Blake Lively has responded after a judge on Monday dismissed the lawsuit filed by It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni against her after she sued him for sexual harassment and retaliation. US District Court Judge Lewis Liman's decision is the latest development in the bitter legal battle surrounding the dark romantic drama that includes Lively suing Baldoni in late December. In a statement posted as an Instagram Story, Lively said she had last week 'stood proudly alongside 19 organisations united in defending women's rights to speak up for their safety'. 'Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit including the manufactured shame that tries to break us,' she said. 'While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back. 'I'm more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story.' Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios countersued in January for $US400 million, accusing Lively and her husband, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion. The judge ruled that Baldoni can't sue Lively for defamation over claims she made in her lawsuit because allegations made in a lawsuit are exempt from libel claims. Liman also ruled that Baldoni's claims that Lively stole creative control of the film didn't count as extortion under California law. Baldoni's legal team can revise the lawsuit if they want to pursue different claims related to whether Lively breached a contract, the judge said.
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Perth Now
Justin Baldoni will continue legal battle with Blake Lively
Justin Baldoni intends to keep going with his legal battle with Blake Lively. The 41-year-old actor previously launched a $400 million countersuit against his It Ends with Us co-star, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane - the couple's publicist - and the New York Times newspaper, after she accused her former co-star of causing her "severe emotional distress", but on Monday (09.06.25), Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed his lawsuit. However, his attorney Bryan Freedman stressed they still have things to fight for and will be amending their complaint. He told Us Weekly in a statement: 'Ms. Lively and her team's predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling. '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.' And the lawyer is "confident" Justin can still win his court battle. He added: '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.' Following the judge's ruling, Blake vowed to keep fighting for other women. She wrote on Instagram: "Last week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organizations united in defending women's rights to speak up for their safety. Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. "While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back. "I'm more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story. "There are protections out there. Check out some of the incredible organizations below for resources and information. "With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don't. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you. "- B (sic)" Blake's post featured links to organisations such as the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, New York Cyber Abuse Task Force, Women's Equal Justice, and Women's Justice NOW. Meanwhile, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, the Gossip Girl star's attorneys, hailed the judge's ruling as a "complete vindication" for the actress. They said in a statement obtained by People: "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." The attorneys described Justin's countersuit - which was aimed at Blake, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, the couple's publicist, and the New York Times newspaper - as a "sham". They continued: "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, [Steve] Sarowitz, [Melissa] Nathan and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation."
