Latest news with #WeCanBuryAnyone
The Star
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Justin Baldoni won't back down after judge tosses lawsuit against Blake Lively
Justin Baldoni's lawyer 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. Photos: AP 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 ' expose, We Can Bury Anyone . Baldoni filed a US$250mil libel lawsuit against the publication and, in January, filed a US$400mil 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.' –New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why a judge dismissed Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively and The New York Times
A federal judge dismissed actor Justin Baldoni's extortion and defamation claims he brought against actress Blake Lively, The New York Times and others, while still giving Baldoni a chance to pursue limited contract-related claims in the legal feud between the 'It Ends With Us' co-stars. Baldoni's legal complaint came in January after Lively brought her own in December alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Her suit is still pending. Dismissing Baldoni's claims in a 132-page opinion Monday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in New York summarized them in two broad categories: First, that Lively, helped by actor Ryan Reynolds (Lively's husband) and publicist Leslie Sloane, threatened to refuse to promote the film, which Baldoni directed, and to attack him in the press if she didn't get control and credit. And second, that Lively, Sloane, Reynolds and the Times spread a false narrative that Baldoni committed sexual misconduct against Lively and engaged in a smear campaign against her. Rejecting the first category, Liman said Baldoni failed to adequately allege that Lively's threats were extortion rather than just bargaining over working conditions. Rejecting the second category, Liman said Baldoni failed to adequately allege any false statements made to the Times, other than statements made by Lively in a complaint she filed with the California Civil Rights Department, which Liman said were legally privileged. The Times published a December story headlined, ''We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,' citing Lively's complaint. Liman said Baldoni has until June 23 to file an amended complaint limited to certain contract-related claims. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration's legal cases. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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.'
MTV Lebanon
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- MTV Lebanon
Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively
A U.S. judge on Monday dismissed actor Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against actress Blake Lively, who had accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her while filming the 2024 movie "It Ends with Us." U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan said Lively's claims to a California state agency about Baldoni's alleged harassment during the filming were privileged, and shielded from the defamation claim by Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios. In a 132-page decision, Liman also dismissed Baldoni's related $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times (NYT.N), opens new tab for its December 21, 2024 article about the dispute, "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine." The judge said Baldoni can try to file a much narrower lawsuit against Lively focused on contractual issues. Lawyers for Baldoni did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively," her lawyers Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson said in a joint statement. "As we have said from day one, this $400 million lawsuit was a sham." Baldoni's lawsuit was in response to Lively's own lawsuit over his alleged harassment. She still seeks unspecified triple and punitive damages, and a March 2026 trial remains scheduled before Liman. A Times spokesman, Charlie Stadtlander, said in a statement: "Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism."
