Judge Lewis J. Liman, who is presiding over Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s ongoing legal dispute, has made the decision to dismiss Baldoni’s $400 million defamation suit against his “It Ends With Us” co-star and her actor-husband Ryan Reynolds and the New York Times.
In his decision, which was filed on Monday in New York’s Supreme Court, Liman found that the paper accurately reported the details of the “It Ends With Us” star’s complaint against her co-star and director, per new legal documents obtained by TheWrap. In addition, he stated that Lively’s sexual harassment accusations are legally protected.
“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 reported statement. “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 attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
Baldoni sued Lively and Reynolds for $400 million and the New York Times for $250 million, claiming an article the paper wrote, that outlined the details of Lively and Baldoni’s court drama, was merely a tactic used in an alleged smear campaign against him. Baldoni, who also accused Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane of defamation, was allowed to amend and refile some of the allegations he made as it related to his contractual interference.
The judge declared that the details in the article, which included texts and emails, correctly corresponded with Lively’s telling of the alleged events in her civil rights complaint that was filed against Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer.
As part of his decision, Judge Liman found that the claims that were made previously in the first complaint to the California Civil Rights Department, which were shared with New York Times, are “recognized” as a “litigation privilege” and “fair report privilege.” The rights allow journalists and media outlets to report on legal proceedings without being found liable for defamation.
Baldoni included Reynolds in his defamation suit after the “Deadpool” star referred to Baldoni as a “sexual predator.” The judge decided that Reynold’s remarks were based on Lively’s recounting. Liman also found that Sloane, who previously stated that Baldoni wrongly benefitted from the #MeToo movements, did not defame Baldoni, as she too was basing her remarks off Lively’s accounts of the situation.
Back in December 2024, Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni claiming the filmmaker caused her “severe emotional distress.” In March, Lively previously filed a motion to have the filmmaker’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against her dropped, claiming Baldoni’s suit was just his way getting back at her for legally accusing him of sexual harassment. Her argument was that the “vengeful” lawsuit breaks a 2023 California law from Gov. Gavin Newsom that protects victims who speak out against their accusers. Newsom signed the new law in the wake of #MeToo movement that rocked Hollywood.
Lively and Baldoni will head to the courtroom over their matter in March 2026.
