Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively over sexual harassment charges
Blake Lively secured a win in her legal feud with Justin Baldoni after Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed the latter's $400 million defamation lawsuit against the actress. Baldoni had filed the suit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, following Lively's allegations of sexual harassment against him.
On Monday, June 9, 2025, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, accusing her of extortion and defamation. The judge also dismissed the actor's $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, which Baldoni filed after an article based on Lively's allegations was published.
As per the statement obtained by People, a report published June 9, 2025, Liman noted:
"The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged. The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] 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."
The statement continued:
"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 Wayfarer Parties’ additional claims also fail. Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety."
Judge Liman also stated that Justin Baldoni may still amend their claims to denote "breach of implied covenant" and "tortious interference with contract" within a deadline of June 23, 2025. Baldoni's legal team has yet to comment on the latest development in the legal case.
What did Justin Baldoni accuse Blake Lively of in his $400 million lawsuit?
As reported by Variety, in December 2024, Blake Lively filed a legal complaint against her co-star, Justin Baldoni, and Wayfarer Studios. The actress accused Baldoni of alleged sexual harassment, inappropriate workplace behavior, and indulging in a smear campaign to destroy her reputation during the promotions of It Ends With Us.
In the same month, an article was also published in the New York Times, based on Blake Lively's claims of harassment and mistreatment on sets. In response, Justin Baldoni countersued in January 2025. He accused Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane of extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
He also filed a lawsuit against The New York Times over the article based on Lively's allegations.
According to an article by TMZ, published on January 31, 2025, in his lawsuit, Justin Baldoni alleged that Blake Lively took creative control over It Ends With Us, stole the film from him despite him being the director. He further claimed that Lively defamed him with false allegations of sexual harassment and his indulgence in a smear campaign against her.
His claims included Lively rewriting certain scenes of the film and refusing to promote the film if her demands were not met.
Justin Baldoni also claimed that he felt threatened due to the involvement of Blake Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds. His lawsuit included alleged text messages and emails to back his claims.
The Washington Post reported that in the ruling dismissing Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, Judge Liman indicated that the actress's sexual harassment claims are protected by law, and she cannot be countersued for the same.
The judge also mentioned that Baldoni's allegations of Lively allegedly taking creative control over the film It Ends With Us do not qualify as extortion under California law.
In the verdict to dismiss Baldoni's lawsuit against The New York Times, Judge Liman noted that there is no evidence to show the publication acted with "malice." Their right to report the alleged facts is protected under the "fair report" privilege, the judge said.
"The alleged facts indicate that the Times reviewed the available evidence and reported, perhaps in a dramatized manner, what it believed to have happened. The Times had no obvious motive to favor Lively's version of events," the statement said.
Following the latest developments of the judge dismissing Justin Baldoni's lawsuit, Blake Lively's lawyers, Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb, celebrated the ruling.
In a statement, according to People, they said:
"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, (publicist) Leslie Sloane and The New York Times."
Lively's attorneys added that they are looking forward to the next phase of the case, where they will seek punitive damages and attorney fees from Baldoni. They described that the $400 million lawsuit was a "sham," claiming "the court saw right through it."
Further developments in the case are awaited. Meanwhile, Blake Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni still stands. The parties are set to face each other in court in March 2026.
