The New York Times escalated the ongoing legal battle between “It Ends With Us” stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni on Tuesday, filing a lawsuit against the director’s production company over its failed $400 million defamation case challenging the newspaper’s reporting on attempts to damage the actress’ professional reputation.
In a nine-page complaint filed in New York Supreme Court on Sept. 30 and reviewed by TheWrap, the Times is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages from Baldoni’s Wayfarer Productions to cover the costs of defending the defamation claims, which were dismissed by a Manhattan federal judge in June.
“The District Court’s opinion makes clear that Wayfarer and its affiliates both commenced and continued the lawsuit against The Times without a substantial basis in fact and law,” the filing states.
The filing also asserts that “any statements in the article and video reporting on the alleged sexual misconduct experienced by Lively were not actionable because they were based on the CRD complaint and therefore were subject to New York’s fair report privilege and separately ‘were not plausibly made with actual malice.’”
Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios initially sought $250 million in a lawsuit against The New York Times, but then wrapped the newspaper in a January countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane in an amended $400 million suit. The suit stemmed from Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation allegations, which were first reported to California’s Civil Rights Department late last year and later filed in a New York lawsuit.
Lively first accused Baldoni of sexual harassment in December 2024, alleging mistreatment on the set of the romance drama he directed, “It Ends With Us.” The “Gossip Girl” actress sued him for sexual harassment, retaliatory smear campaigns and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The NYT published a detailed story on Lively’s Civil Rights Department filing on Dec. 21, 2024, shortly after it was submitted to California authorities.
She shared her allegations with The New York Times, which also published a story titled, “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” sparking a wave of legal action between the two Hollywood figures.
Baldoni responded by suing Lively and Reynolds for civil extortion and defamation, claiming the couple conspired to damage his reputation by sharing the harassment allegations with the newspaper.
On June 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Wayfarer’s countersuit in a 132-page order, criticizing aspects of the complaint. In his decision, Liman found that the paper accurately reported the details of the “It Ends With Us” star’s complaint against her co-star and director. In addition, he stated that Lively’s sexual harassment accusations are legally protected. He also 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. Liman did leave the door open for Baldoni and his team to file an amended complaint. The team ultimately declined to submit a revised suit.
The newspaper’s in-house counsel David McCraw filed the Tuesday complaint under New York’s anti-SLAPP law, which is designed to block lawsuits intended to suppress free speech.
“It is clear from the district court’s opinion that the claims against The Times lacked any basis in fact or law,” the complaint states. “Under such circumstances, New York’s anti-SLAPP law requires that The Times be awarded its costs and attorney’s fees and such other compensatory damages as the court deems just and proper.”
In his now-dismissed suit, Baldoni denied ever acting inappropriately on or off the film set and said Lively had engaged in much of the behavior she described as problematic.
Representatives for Baldoni and the New York Times did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment.
Liman has tentatively set a trial date for Lively’s claims on March 9, 2026.
