Blake Lively‘s reaction to a judge dismissing Justin Baldoni‘s countersuit against her has been revealed following months of legal tussle between the pair.
The actress’s lawyers branded the ruling “a total victory” and a “complete vindication” for Lively, as the judge shared some points while explaining his rulings.
Blake Lively’s legal win against Justin Baldoni comes after she admitted to facing the “lowest of lows” in her life this year.
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Blake Lively’s Reaction To Justin Baldoni’s Lawsuit Being Dismissed Revealed
Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024, alleging that he sexually harassed her on the set of their movie, “It Ends With Us,” where they both played leading roles.
The actor-director responded with a $400 million countersuit, alleging that Lively and her husband tried to usurp control of the movie from him.
However, a judge has now dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit against the actress, and according to the Daily Mail, a source close to Lively revealed that she “cried with relief” upon learning about the bombshell ruling.
“Complete elation from Blake’s world and a monkey off her back,” the insider said. “Blake is breathing a sigh of relief right now, and all tears are happy tears.”
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Why The Judge Dismissed Justin Baldoni’s Countersuit
In his ruling to throw out Baldoni’s countersuit, Judge Lewis Liman explained that all Lively’s allegations were made within privileged court papers.
“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged,” he said, per The Blast. “The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign.”
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Liman added, “But the Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane, or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law.”
“The Wayfarer Parties’ additional claims also fail. Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety,” the judge added.
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Justin Baldoni Can File An Amended Complaint
In Judge Liman’s ruling, he emphasized that The New York Times had no clear “motive” for bias in its reporting of Lively’s legal complaint.
“The Times reviewed the available evidence and reported, perhaps in a dramatized manner, what it believed to have happened. The Times had no obvious motive to favor Lively’s version of events,” Liman noted.
Fortunately for Baldoni, the judge stated that the “Wayfarer Parties” can file a second amended complaint by June 23, 2025.
However, they can only amend the allegations “relevant to the claims of tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant.”
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Blake Lively’s Lawyers Labeled The Ruling A ‘Total Victory’
Lively’s lawyers, who seem overjoyed with the ruling, called it a “total victory” and “complete vindication” for the actress and others who got dragged into the legal tussle.
“As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,” the lawyers continued in their statement.
They added, “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.”
The Actress Faced The ‘Lowest Of Lows’ In Her Life This Year
Back in May, Lively made an appearance on Seth Meyers’ late-night show, where she opened up about the emotional toll she has seemingly endured this year amid her court battle with Baldoni.
Hinting at her legal woes, the actress told Meyers: “What I can say without going too into it is that this year has been the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in my life and I see so many women around afraid to speak, especially right now, afraid to share their experiences, and fear is by design.”
Lively continued, “It’s what keeps us silent. But I also acknowledge that many people don’t have the opportunity to speak.”
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“So I do feel fortunate that I’ve been able to, and as a woman, you have the ability to use your voice – that’s kept me strong and helped me in my belief and my fight for the world to be safer for women and girls. It’s a pretty simple thing,” Lively added.
