Justin Baldoni’s $400,000,000 lawsuit against Blake Lively has been dismissed by the judge due to a specific issue.
For those unaware, Baldoni and Lively have been embroiled in a legal dispute following the Gossip Girl star’s decision to take legal action in December.
Lively accused Baldoni, her co-star in the 2024 film It Ends With Us, of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her.
In response, Baldoni filed a $400,000,000 defamation lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times.
However, the case was dismissed in June when Baldoni’s legal team failed to revise his allegations of contract interference by the June 23 deadline. Lively responded to the dismissal on her Instagram Story.
US District Judge Lewis Linman had previously allowed more time for corrections, finding the initial allegations lacked substance, especially regarding Lively’s New York Times article cited by Baldoni, as its content was protected under free speech and reporting privileges.
A New York Times spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the ruling, saying (via Complex): “We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting.”
The case is now largely over, as a new order signed by Judge Linman on October 31 indicated that Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios co-plaintiffs missed the chance to revive the lawsuit.
Judge Linman pointed out that the plaintiffs ‘failed to respond’ to an October 17 order addressing why a final judgment should not be made, thus ending their legal battle.
According to the BBC, Judge Linman notified all parties about filing the final statement, and only Lively’s team responded.
Lively’s team requested that the final judgment be announced and that the actor’s request for legal fees remain active, which the judge approved.
Baldoni still has the option to appeal the judgment once the court addresses requests from Lively’s team for legal costs reimbursement.
Earlier, Lively’s legal team celebrated the judge’s decision, calling the lawsuit a ‘sham’ from the start. Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, responded by calling it a ‘predictable declaration of victory’ that was ‘false.’
“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,” he remarked.
The statement continued: “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.”
Meanwhile, Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni is still in progress in Manhattan federal court.
Requests for comments from Baldoni and Lively’s representatives have been made.