A judge in New York dismissed Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit, valued at $400 million, against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. The judge ruled that Lively’s claims of sexual harassment were shielded by legal protection and could not be legally challenged.
Lively had taken legal action against Baldoni in federal court, citing sexual harassment and reprisal. She accused Baldoni and the “It Ends With Us” producers of initiating a smear campaign against her in response to her complaints about working conditions on the movie set.
Subsequently, Baldoni brought a defamation case against The New York Times, Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist. He alleged that they colluded to harm his professional reputation by spreading untrue accusations.
Judge Lewis J. Liman of the US District Court in Manhattan dismissed Bladoni’s suit, which included extortion and other allegations, but allowed Baldoni to amend and refile specific claims concerning interference with contracts.
“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,” Lively’s attorney said in a statement.
“As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it. 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 New York Times reports that Liman ruled that Baldoni’s lawsuit did not convincingly argue that Lively’s threats amounted to “wrongful extortion” instead of legitimate bargaining over working conditions.
He also stated that Baldoni’s team failed to prove defamation, as their claims were based solely on statements in Lively’s civil rights complaint, which are protected by privilege.
Liman also found that many statements from The Times were privileged because they came from Lively’s legal filing. He concluded that Baldoni had not shown that The Times acted with actual malice in publishing the article.
While Liman dismissed the claims of extortion and defamation, he permitted Baldoni to amend and refile breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with a contract complaint by June 23.
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[Feature Photo:B lake Lively arrives at the LACMA Art+Film Gala on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)]
