Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit filed against his It Ends With Us costar Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and their publicist Leslie Sloane has been dismissed.
On Tuesday (AEST), U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman said Justin can’t sue Blake for defamation because her claims were made in court documents, which is privileged speech, or they were comments the defendants genuinely believed. No “actual malice” was proved.
Reacting to the news, Blake shared the following statement in her Instagram stories:
“Last week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organizations united in defending women’s rights to speak up for their safety.
Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back.
I’m more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman’s right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story.
There are protections out there. Check out some of the incredible organisations below for resources and information.
With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don’t. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you. -B”
Blake went on to list a number of nonprofits and advocacy groups including the National Network to End Domestic Violence, New York Cyber Abuse Task Force and the California Women’s Law Center.
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Her lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb also shared a statement with People:
“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.
As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it.
We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorney’s fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, [Steve] Sarowitz, [Melissa] Nathan and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
Justin’s libel case against The New York Times was also dismissed by the court. However, he has been given time to amend several claims relating to contractual obligations, before June 23.
Justin’s lawyer Bryan Freedman shared the following statement to media:
“Ms. Lively and her team’s predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling. 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.
This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a non-existent smear campaign, which Ms. Lively’s own team conveniently describes as “untraceable” because they cannot prove what never happened.
Most importantly, Ms. Lively’s claims are no truer today than they were yesterday, and with the facts on our side, 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.
We are grateful for the organic show of support from the public and for the dedication of the internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity.”
Blake’s case against Justin, alleging sexual harassment and a smear campaign, is due for court in 2026.
(Feature Image Credits: Blake Lively photo by Lev Radin/Shutterstock.com; Justin Baldoni photo by DFree/Shutterstock.com)
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