
Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively dismissed by judge
Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively dismissed by judge
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Blake Lively's team slams Baldoni's over Taylor Swift subpoena
Blake Lively's team has condemned Justin Baldoni's team's decision to subpoena Taylor Swift, calling it a blatant attempt to exploit Lively's friendship for tabloid attention.
unbranded - Entertainment
Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against his "It Ends with Us" costar Blake Lively and The New York Times has been dismissed by a judge.
The "It Ends with Us" director first sued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and the Times after the actress went public with claims Baldoni sexually harassed her and helped orchestrate a smear campaign against her. The lawsuit was filed in response to Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in late 2024.
USA TODAY has reached out to Baldoni's reps for comment.
"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 Monday, June 9, statement to USA TODAY.
"As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it," the statement continued. "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."
This story is developing.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

USA Today
39 minutes ago
- USA Today
'I felt betrayed': 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton
'I felt betrayed': 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton Show Caption Hide Caption Milton from 'Love is Blind' reflects on fiancée Lydia's past with Uche Milton Johnson from Netflix's "Love is Blind" opened up about his relationship with fiancée Lydia and why he loves that they're so "different." Fan favorite "Love Is Blind" couple Lydia Velez Gonzalez and Milton Johnson are divorcing after three years of marriage. The pair, who met on Season 5 of the hit Netflix dating show, are splitting after turmoil in their marriage, Gonzalez revealed on a Wednesday, June 11 episode of the What's the Reality? podcast. While their marriage once felt like a fairy tale, the 34-year-old geologist said she now feels that Johnson was never ready to be a husband. "It wasn't one thing. Yeah, it was a layer of situations and things that just kept piling it up," Gonzalez told host and fellow "Love Is Blind" alum Amber Desiree "AD" Smith. When Gonzalez informed Johnson that she would file for divorce, he allegedly said he would not sign them unless there was a non-disclosure agreement. "And that said enough for me to know that I needed to share my truth and my experience, because I've been suffering in silence," she said. "This is just my chance to speak my truth for me and for other people that always reach out to me and tell me that I'm an inspiration. I feel that it was very hypocritical me not share this with the world when they have been so transparent with me." Lydia said Milton would not cut off 'disrespectful' ex-partner One of the first signs of trouble in their marriage was an argument the two had about one of Johnson's ex-partners, according to Gonzalez. She considered the woman "very insistent" and "very disrespectful towards our marriage." She added that he also kept a ripped up love letter from the woman in a shoebox at their apartment. At one point, Gonzalez went through Johnson's phone and said she found a text from him referring to the woman that read "I want to (expletive) that person." "When I saw that my heart went to the floor. I felt like betrayed and disrespected," she said. "And then I remember calling him and telling him, 'how long has it been that you want to (expletive) this person.' And he was like, 'what are we talking about.'" Johnson denied any infidelity, adding that he would never jeopardize their marriage and said "that's how boys talk," according to Gonzalez. USA TODAY has reached out to Johnson for comment. 'Love is Blind' pair tried marriage counseling Gonzalez said that her husband felt that she had violated their trust and one day called her "stupid and an untrustworthy person." "I don't consider myself a jealous person, unless you give me motives to, once you give me motives to I'll become a detective. I don't care because my gut instinct is so clever. I mean, it never fails me," she said. She added that the two participated in couple's therapy but that she felt it was not working. Gonzalez said other issues included Johnson becoming distant and addicted to the video game "Halo" and him allegedly scolding her in front of his family for cursing too much. Over time, she said his comments "kept making me feel small" and eventually made the decision to end the relationship she once felt showed her the "kind of love that I've never received before." The pair met on Season 5 of the reality dating show on Netflix, in which contestants looking for romance interact via pods designed to keep their appearances a mystery.


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
'I felt betrayed: 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton
'I felt betrayed: 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton Show Caption Hide Caption Need a show to binge? These are the must watch shows this summer USA TODAY's TV critic Kelly Lawler breaks down the best TV shows you don't to want to miss this summer Fan favorite "Love Is Blind" couple Lydia Velez Gonzalez and Milton Johnson are divorcing after three years of marriage. The pair, who met on Season 5 of the hit Netflix dating show, are splitting after turmoil in their marriage, Gonzalez revealed on a Wednesday, June 11 episode of the What's the Reality? podcast. While their marriage once felt like a fairy tale, the 34-year-old geologist said she now feels that Johnson was never ready to be a husband. "It wasn't one thing. Yeah, it was a layer of situations and things that just kept piling it up," Gonzalez told host and fellow "Love Is Blind" alum Amber Desiree "AD" Smith. When Gonzalez informed Johnson that she would file for divorce, he allegedly said he would not sign them unless there was a non-disclosure agreement. "And that said enough for me to know that I needed to share my truth and my experience, because I've been suffering in silence," she said. "This is just my chance to speak my truth for me and for other people that always reach out to me and tell me that I'm an inspiration. I feel that it was very hypocritical me not share this with the world when they have been so transparent with me." Lydia said Milton would not cut off 'disrespectful' ex-partner One of the first signs of trouble in their marriage was an argument the two had about one of Johnson's ex-partners, according to Gonzalez. She considered the woman "very insistent" and "very disrespectful towards our marriage." She added that he also kept a ripped up love letter from the woman in a shoebox at their apartment. At one point, Gonzalez went through Johnson's phone and said she found a text from him referring to the woman that read "I want to (expletive) that person." "When I saw that my heart went to the floor. I felt like betrayed and disrespected," she said. "And then I remember calling him and telling him, 'how long has it been that you want to (expletive) this person.' And he was like, 'what are we talking about.'" Johnson denied any infidelity, adding that he would never jeopardize their marriage and said "that's how boys talk," according to Gonzalez. USA TODAY has reached out to Johnson for comment. 'Love is Blind' pair tried marriage counseling Gonzalez said that her husband felt that she had violated their trust and one day called her "stupid and an untrustworthy person." "I don't consider myself a jealous person, unless you give me motives to, once you give me motives to I'll become a detective. I don't care because my gut instinct is so clever. I mean, it never fails me," she said. She added that the two participated in couple's therapy but that she felt it was not working. Gonzalez said other issues included Johnson becoming distant and addicted to the video game "Halo" and him allegedly scolding her in front of his family for cursing too much. Over time, she said his comments "kept making me feel small" and eventually made the decision to end the relationship she once felt showed her the "kind of love that I've never received before." The pair met on Season 5 of the reality dating show on Netflix, in which contestants looking for romance interact via pods designed to keep their appearances a mystery.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Harvey Weinstein convicted in retrial as push for #MeToo accountability continues
Harvey Weinstein was convicted Wednesday in a New York City retrial on one charge of committing a criminal sexual act. The former Hollywood studio head, who has also been convicted of rape in a California court, was acquitted on a second charge. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on a third charge and have been told to continue their deliberations. Wednesday's partial verdict is a major milestone in the ongoing push for legal accountability for Weinstein. In the fall of 2017, news of long-standing and rampant sexual misconduct perpetrated by the one-time influential studio head broke in a series of stories reported by both The New Yorker and The New York Times, spurring a new wave of attention to the #MeToo movement. The one guilty conviction Wednesday came in relation to accusations made by Miriam Haley, a former production assistant on the reality television show, 'Project Runway,' who alleged that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in his home in downtown New York City in 2006. She also accused Weinstein of raping her in a hotel room in New York City weeks later. Haley's testimony during the retrial garnered media attention as a result of an exchange she had with Weinstein's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, during cross-examination. Bonjean repeatedly asked Haley about what she was wearing when she was assaulted by Weinstein and whether she had been the one to remove her clothing when with him. Haley cried on the stand, at one point shouting, 'Don't tell me I wasn't raped by that f––ing a––hole!' In testimony days later, she repeatedly insisted that Weinstein was the one who had been the perpetrator of all sexual activity, detailing that he was the one who had removed her clothing, had removed her tampon and had placed his mouth on her genitals. It was the second time Haley had to recount these details in a courtroom. Weinstein first faced criminal trial in New York City in 2020 and was found guilty on two charges and sentenced to 23 years in prison. He was serving that sentence when those convictions were overturned in April 2024 after a judge ruled that the choice of prosecutors to allow for testimony by women who claimed they had been assaulted by Weinstein — but who were not part of the suit against him — was in fact inadmissible and prejudicial. At the retrial, which began April 23, Weinstein pleaded not guilty to all charges. Weinstein is currently serving a 16-year sentence related to his 2022 conviction for rape after a trial in Los Angeles. The #MeToo movement has faced increasing and coordinated backlash, which has picked up following President Donald Trump's return to office. Haley, for example, was one of the subjects of a recent podcast series by far-right wing influencer Candace Owens, during which Owens alleged that Weinstein was innocent and had been framed. The post Harvey Weinstein convicted in retrial as push for #MeToo accountability continues appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.