Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's $400M countersuit against Blake Lively

USA Today

4 hours ago

Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's $400M countersuit against Blake Lively
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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.
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Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against his "It Ends with Us" costar Blake Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times has been dismissed by a judge.
The "It Ends with Us" director first sued Lively, 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.
Judge Lewis Liman granted a June 9 motion for dismissal from Lively's legal team because Baldoni's claims of civil extortion, defamation and false light did not hold up legally. However, the judge is allowing Baldoni's team another chance to address specific claims by filing a second amended complaint – for breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract – by June 23.
Reynolds, Lively and publicist Leslie Sloane's request for Baldoni to cover their attorneys' fees was denied without prejudice, meaning their request could also be refiled.
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."
In a filing reviewed by USA TODAY, the judge noted that Baldoni's complaint focused on two main claims. First, he alleged Lively threatened to refuse to promote "It Ends with Us" and attack him publicly if he didn't agree to give her control over the movie. The complaint argued this amounted to civil extortion.
But Liman said the complaint did not adequately allege that Lively's "threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions." The judge also determined that Baldoni and his fellow plaintiffs failed to show that they were damaged by some of Lively's allegedly "extortionate acts."
Secondly, Baldoni's complaint alleged that Lively, Reynolds, Sloane and the Times "spread a false narrative that Baldoni committed sexual misconduct towards" Lively and engaged in a smear campaign against her. But the judge said the complaint did not allege that Lively "is responsible for any statements" other than those made in a California Civil Rights Department complaint, which are privileged.
As for statements made by Reynolds, Sloane and the Times, the judge said the complaint did not allege that these parties "would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them," which is required for them to be liable for defamation.