DailyMail.com can confirm that Justin Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively has been dismissed amidst their ongoing legal dispute from It Ends With Us.
The actress had sued Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment on set, which he denied. In response, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios launched a defamation suit against Lively, her publicist, and her husband Ryan Reynolds.
Apart from the countersuit, Baldoni initiated legal action against The New York Times, filing a $250 million lawsuit concerning the publication’s expose on Lively’s sexual harassment accusations against her former co-star.
Now in a shock twist, a judge has tossed Baldoni’s lawsuits in a major setback for the actor’s hopes for a blockbuster win over the millionaire actress.
Judge Lewis J Limon has dismissed Baldoni’s suit alleging defamation and extortion on the basis that all her allegations were made within privileged court papers.
Liman said in the docket 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.
Justin Baldoni’s $400million countersuit against Blake Lively has been dismissed – DailyMail.com can confirm amid their ongoing It Ends With Us legal wrangle – pictured together in December 2023
The drama between Lively and Baldoni officially erupted late last year
‘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.’
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 Blake 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.’
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 December 20, before officially filing a federal lawsuit on December 31.
Judge Lewis J Limon has dismissed Baldoni’s suit alleging defamation and extortion on the basis that all her allegations were made within privileged court papers; Lively pictured in It Ends With Us
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 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.
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 romantic drama
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.
Baldoni on January 16 filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, alleging defamation and extortion. Baldoni told the court the trio had concocted ‘false accusations of sexual harassment’ against him.
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.
