Even though Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively was dismissed on Monday, his team is confident this legal battle is not over.
“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,” the “It Ends With Us” director/actor’s lawyer Bryan Freedman told TheWrap in a statement on Tuesday.
“This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign, which Ms. Lively’s own team conveniently describes as ‘untraceable’ because they cannot prove what never happened,” he continued. “Most importantly, Ms. Lively’s own 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.”
Freedman concluded, “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.”
The update comes a day after Lively herself spoke out about the case against her, her husband Ryan Reynolds and The New York Times.
“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,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “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.”
On Monday, Judge Lewis J. Liman determined the NYT accurately reported on the “It Ends With Us” actress’ complaint against her co-star — adding that her 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 another 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.”
Lively and Baldoni will head to the courtroom over the matter in March 2026.
