Legal saga: Court dismisses one of Justin Baldoni's lawsuits against Blake Lively

Director and actor Justin Baldoni has suffered a significant legal defeat after a US federal judge dismissed the $400 million lawsuit he and his company, Wayfarer , had filed against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloan and The New York Times .

Baldoni filed the lawsuit following Lively's December 2024 allegations of sexual harassment and a smear campaign, claims he has vehemently denied. In response, the actor accused Lively of defamation and said her lawsuit was vindictive and unfounded.

Baldoni also sued the New York Times , seeking $250 million in damages, after accusing it of defamation in an article that supported Lively's version. He claimed the article fueled a "smear campaign" against him and his company. The lawsuit against Reynolds and Sloan, on the other hand, alleged that they defamed and attempted to blackmail him by spreading information that portrayed him as a sexual abuser.

On Monday, June 9, Judge Lewis Lehman dismissed the defamation and racketeering lawsuits, stating that there was no evidence of malice on the part of the defendants. He noted that Blake Lively's statements in court documents were legally protected, while also dismissing the claims against Reynolds, Sloan and the New York Times , saying there was no indication that they had spread false information with malicious intent.

However, the court gave Baldoni until June 23 to re-file several charges, including those for breach of contract and sabotage of the agreement.

Lively's legal team called the ruling a "complete victory and an absolute vindication" for the actress, Reynolds, Sloan and the newspaper. They described Baldoni's lawsuit as "malicious, vindictive and baseless."

The New York Times also reacted by welcoming the court's decision and saying the lawsuit was an attempt to curb free journalism.

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Source: People