Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's lawsuits against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and New York Times
Actor filed $400M US countersuit against It Ends With Us co-star after she alleged sexual harassment
A New York judge has tossed out Justin Baldoni's $400-million US defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, while also dismissing a $250-million US defamation suit against the New York Times for reporting on Lively's claims of sexual harassment during the filming of the 2024 movie It Ends With Us.
Judge Lewis J. Liman granted the motions to dismiss the suits from Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios on Monday, saying Lively was not liable for sexual misconduct claims against the 41-year-old because they were made in a civil rights complaint and are legally protected.
In his written opinion, Liman noted Baldoni and Wayfarer had not alleged Lively was liable for any other claims than the ones made in her civil suit, filed in California in December. He also ruled that Baldoni's claims that Lively stole creative control of the film didn't count as extortion under California law.
In her own lawsuit, Lively, 37, has accused Baldoni of harassment, alleging that he and Wayfarer conducted a co-ordinated smear campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.
Baldoni, too, has accused the actor of trying to destroy his reputation.
Liman wrote that Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloan and the New York Times also did not make statements beyond what Lively had alleged about Baldoni.
"The Wayfarer parties have alleged that Reynolds and Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct, and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer parties of engaging in a smear campaign. But the Wayfarer parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law," the opinion reads.
Baldoni's case against the Times focused on its Dec. 21, 2024, article about them, titled We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.
"Freedoms of expression require breathing space, and a publisher must be permitted to publish the story that it believes in good faith to be before it," Liman wrote in regards to the Times.
The Times had no immediate comment, according to Reuters.
Liman is allowing Baldoni to amend some of his claims and refile by June 23.
Lively's legal team celebrated Monday's decision.
"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 statement published by Variety.
"As we have said from Day 1, 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."
The Associated Press sent emails seeking comment to Baldoni's attorneys.
How the It Ends With Us drama unfolded
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, grossing more than $351 million US worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
But the movie's release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.
Leading up to the premiere of the film, around August 2024, there had been rumours circulating of Baldoni, Lively and other cast and crew, not getting along during the making of the picture.
Reports suggested Baldoni had clashed with Lively and made it "uncomfortable" for her on set, along with other crew members.
There were also allegations that Baldoni had "fat shamed" Lively and that he resented her husband's presence on the set.
Those rumours of a testy relationship were amplified when Lively and Baldoni were not seen promoting the film together. It was around this time that the Hollywood Reporter reported that Baldoni had hired a crisis management team to deal with these allegations.
Lively also began to face a backlash of her own during the promotion of the film, accused of not taking seriously the subject matter — intimate partner abuse — and criticized for promoting her new hair care line and beverage company at the same time.
Legal battles begin
Lively filed her initial complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on Dec. 21, alleging "invasive, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behaviour" on behalf of Baldoni. This included allegations of unwanted touching and kissing during scenes, entering Lively's makeup trailer uninvited while she was undressed, as well as discussions of Baldoni's personal sexual experiences and previous porn addiction with another producer.
The New York Times article came out the same day.
Baldoni's suit against Lively, Reynolds and Sloane, filed in January, sought at least $400 million in damages that include lost future income.
Lively then filed her own libel lawsuit against Baldoni and several others tied to It Ends With Us, alleging harassment and a co-ordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set of the romantic drama.
That suit was filed in New York just hours after Baldoni and many of the other defendants in Lively's suit sued The New York Times for libel for its story on her allegations, saying the newspaper and the star were the ones conducting a co-ordinated smear campaign.
Clarifications
- This story has been updated to clarify that Justin Baldoni filed his lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Leslie Sloane in January, not December as stated in a previous version of this story.Jun 09, 2025 5:35 PM EDT
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With files from Mark Gollom, The Associated Press and Reuters