Blake Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds were pictured for the first time since the actress’ huge win over Justin Baldoni on Monday.
The actors known for their roles in Gossip Girl and Deadpool, 37-year-old Blake Lively and 48-year-old Ryan Reynolds, were recently spotted in New York City individually. They appeared to be in high spirits following the dismissal of the $400 million countersuit filed against them by Justin Baldoni.
Blake Lively, who had remained silent about the legal development, showcased a radiant smile as she attended the 18th annual CHANEL Tribeca Festival artists dinner. She looked stunning in a chic white dress with an alluring slit on the side.
She flashed a bright smile while posing for the cameras, after speaking out on the ‘pain’ of her experience with a ‘retaliatory lawsuit.’
Meanwhile Reynolds was seen taking a stroll with Deadpool director and longtime collaborator Shawn Levy, 56.
It comes following news that Lively had an emotional reaction to the dismissal of the countersuit filed by her It Ends with Us director and co-star.
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds were seen together for the first time since the favorable ruling in the actress’s favor over Justin Baldoni. The couple was photographed in New York City, exuding happiness and confidence.
Lively was ever the fashionista on Monday, pairing her white dress with open-toe heels and a blue shirt draped over her shoulders.
Her blonde tresses cascaded down her shoulders in loose waves, and she accessorized with a gold bag.
Meanwhile Reynolds sported a casual look, wearing a short-sleeve blue button up with a white tank top underneath. He paired the outfit with loose pants and white sneakers. His eyes were shielded with a pair of sunglasses.
On Monday, the actress released a powerful statement hours after a judge dismissed Baldoni’s case, writing about the ‘manufactured shame that tries to break us’ and her commitment to defending women’s rights.
‘Last week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organizations united in defending women’s rights to speak up for their safety,’ Lively wrote.
‘Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us.’
The Los Angeles-born star continued: ‘While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back.’
Lively, who shares four children with Ryan, vowed that she was ‘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 Gossip Girl alum wrapped up in thanking those in the public who have supported her amid the turbulent past year.
‘With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know,’ Lively said. ‘Many of you I don’t. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you.’
The actress, whose legal battle with Baldoni has had a significant impact on her friendship with Taylor Swift, added a list of groups that had publicly supported her amid the highly-publicized Tinseltown tussle.
Blake attended a dinner hosted by Chanel, after releasing a statement via Instagram amid news that she was cleared in the $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit filed by her It Ends with Us collaborator
She flashed a bright smile while posing for the cameras, after speaking out on the ‘pain’ of her experience with a ‘retaliatory lawsuit’
Lively was ever the fashionista on Monday, pairing her white dress with open-toe heels
Lively had a blue shirt draped over her shoulders
Her blonde tresses cascaded down her shoulders in loose waves, and she accessorized with a gold bag
Meanwhile Ryan looked to be in good spirits while taking a stroll with Deadpool director and longtime collaborator Shawn Levy, 56
Among them, in alphabetical order, were the California Employment Lawyers Association, California Women’s Law Center, CHILD USA, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, Equal Rights Advocates, Esperanza United, Her Justice, and Herunivercity Inc.
In December 2024, the actress sued Baldoni for allegedly sexually harassing her on set – claims he denied – before Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios fired back with a defamation suit against Lively, her publicist Leslie Sloane and Ryan.
Baldoni also waged war with The New York Times, filing a $250million lawsuit against the publication over its bombshell tell-all on Lively’s sexual harassment claims against her former co-star on December 31, 2024.
As news broke that a judge had dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, the New York Times, Sloane and her PR firm Vision, a Lively insider said the star ‘cried with relief’ when she found out about the ruling.
The source exclusively told DailyMail.com of the actress’ reaction: ‘Complete elation from Blake’s world and a monkey off her back.’
‘Blake is breathing a sigh of relief right now and all tears are happy tears.’
Judge Lewis J Liman has dismissed Baldoni’s suit alleging defamation and extortion on the basis that all Lively’s allegations were made within privileged court papers.
Liman said in the order obtained by DailyMail.com: ‘The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged.’
‘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.’
‘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 ruled: ‘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.’
In an Instagram post Lively wrote about the ‘pain’ of her experience with a ‘retaliatory lawsuit’ and her commitment to defending women’s rights
As news broke that a judge dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit, a Lively insider said the star ‘cried with relief’ when she found out about the bombshell ruling; Lively and Baldoni seen in January 2024
Liman, however, did state the Wayfarer Parties will be able to file a second amended complaint by June 23, 2025 but are only able to amend the allegations ‘relevant to the claims of tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant.’
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios for comment but has yet to hear back.
Wayfarer Studios was founded by Baldoni and billionaire businessman Steve Sarowitz in 2019.
A statement obtained by DailyMail.com from Lively’s lawyers read: ‘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.’
‘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.’
Liman also weighed in on the demands Lively sought on the set of It Ends With Us in order to prevent further discomfort on the set, with his opinion stating: ‘Even if they turn out to be unneeded, an employee can insist on protections at workplace for sexual harassment without being accused of extortion. If an employer accedes, it cannot later claim to be a victim of the employee’s wrongful threats.’
Additionally, Liman said of the allegation that Lively threatened to not promote the film unless her cut was released, among other requests: ‘There also is no allegation that Lively had a contractual obligation to promote the film; if not, there is no basis to assume that the value that she conveyed in terms of her willingness to promote represented anything other than a fair trade for the Wayfarer Parties’ willingness to use her cut.’
The court said that although statements made by Reynolds and Sloan were “extraneous” or outside of the complaint, Baldoni failed to allege facts that they were made with actual malice, or that Reynolds and Sloane either knew their statements were false or acted in reckless disregard of their veracity.
After she sued him for sexual harassment, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios fired back with a defamation suit against Lively, her publicist Leslie Sloane and Ryan; She is seen with Reynolds in February
The legal battle between Lively and Baldoni officially erupted last year after rumors of tension between the two, with the actress accusing her co-star of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign, allegations Baldoni denied.
In her lawsuit, Lively named a number of Baldoni’s collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio’s CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
‘I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,’ Lively told The New York Times the day after she filed the complaint.
Baldoni has denied the allegations brought about by Lively, while Lively, Reynolds and Sloane have denied the accusations made in litigation by Baldoni.
Baldoni’s team has released a website which includes private communications such as text messages that were included in court filings detailing his interactions with the Hollywood power couple over the making of the romantic drama.
He claimed in court filings they made efforts to usurp and undermine his input as the director of It Ends with Us.
Baldoni’s team previously said that the communications shared in court filings on the website makes things clear about the motives of both parties.
The website, which is live online at thelawsuitinfo.com, comes amid a spate of high-profile litigation between the collaborators on the film, which was a hit at the box office last August.
Lively filed an 80-page civil rights complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni on December 20, before officially filing a federal lawsuit on December 31.
In her lawsuit, the Gossip Girl alum accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways – including body shaming her – and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation.
Baldoni told the court the trio had concocted ‘false accusations of sexual harassment’ against him.
Baldoni and his reps have said in response to the lawsuit that Lively twisted the meaning of text messages and mislead the public about their interactions while making the motion picture.
Lively and Baldoni’s trial, where both are expected to testify, is set for March 2026; pictured in a still from It Ends With Us
On June 3, DailyMail.com revealed Lively dropped a claim of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress against Baldoni.
Baldoni subsequently sued the newspaper for $250 million in a defamation claim over a December 21 story titled ‘”We Can Bury Anyone”: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine ;’ the newspaper has denied the allegations.
Since Lively’s complaint was filed, Baldoni has faced a number of professional consequences, including a lawsuit from a former publicist, and being dropped by the agency WME, which also reps Lively and Reynolds.
WME has denied claims that Lively and Reynolds leaned on them to release Baldoni from their client roster, according to Variety.
It Ends with Us, which also starred Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, arrived in theaters August 9 and was a hit with audiences. The film, adapted from the 2016 Colleen Hoover novel, earned $148 million in domestic box office, and $350 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.
Lively and Baldoni’s trial, where both are expected to testify, is set for March 2026.
