Justin Baldoni has issued a response following Blake Lively’s announcement of a ‘victory’ after a judge dismissed his $400 million lawsuit.
Baldoni and Lively, co-stars in the 2024 film “It Ends With Us,” have been entangled in a prolonged legal dispute.
The legal battle began when Lively filed a lawsuit in December, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment.
In her claims, Lively also suggested that Baldoni and his PR team initiated a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni countered these accusations by filing a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. However, a judge recently threw out this case.
Celebrating the dismissal, Lively and her legal team referred to the lawsuit as a ‘sham’ and called the judge’s ruling a ‘victory’.
In contrast, a statement from Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, challenged Lively’s declaration of victory, deeming it ‘false.’
The judge has allowed Baldoni the opportunity to amend and refile his claims regarding contract interference, setting a deadline of June 23 for this action.
“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,” reads the statement given to Entertainment Tonight.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Lively had also shared a statement on social media, expressing pride 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.
Continuing, Lively stated, “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.”
The 37-year-old concluded her message by expressing gratitude: “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.”
Her attorneys also commented, stating: “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.”
The trial has been scheduled for March 2026.