Scandalous lawsuit collapsed: Baldoni lost the case against Lively and Reynolds for $400 million
Kyiv • UNN
The judge dismissed Baldoni's lawsuit accusing Lively and Reynolds of defamation after a harassment claim. Lively's legal team called the decision a complete victory.
U.S. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed actor Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds on June 5, as well as a $250 million counterclaim against the New York Times. This is reported by UNN with reference to Page Six.
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Justin Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios sought $400 million in damages, accusing Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds of defamation after Lively reported Baldoni to the California Department of Civil Rights for alleged sexual harassment during the filming of "It Ends With Us" in December 2024. In addition, he filed a $250 million counterclaim against the New York Times for a similar charge.
According to documents obtained by Page Six, Judge Liman dismissed the lawsuit, explaining that Baldoni's original complaint "did not contain any allegations directly linking Lively to the dissemination of confidential statements." It was also not proven that Reynolds, his publicist Leslie Sloane, or the newspaper actually doubted the veracity of these allegations - a condition necessary for a defamation lawsuit.
Baldoni's legal team has until June 23 to amend their claims for breach of implied contract and tortious interference with contract, the publication said.
Lively's attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, called the ruling a "complete victory and complete vindication" for the actress in a statement to Page Six.
The lawyers wrote: "As we have said from day one, this "$400 million" lawsuit was fictitious and the Court saw through it."
They are "looking forward to the next round, which involves recovering attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages" due to "abuse of the legal process."
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Rumors of a feud between the actors surfaced after the film's premiere in August 2024. Lively soon officially filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages.
