Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's $400M defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

The legal battle between actor and producer Justin Baldoni and Hollywood couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds stemmed from the set of their film, It Ends with Us. The controversy first erupted when Lively sued Baldoni, alleging misconduct on set and a subsequent retaliatory smear campaign, accusations which Baldoni strongly denied.

As a result, Baldoni and his production firm Wayfarer Studios filed a significant $400 million countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist for alleged extortion and defamation. The lengthy legal saga reached a major turning point when U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman tossed out the initial countersuit in June.

The defamation case was officially concluded on October 31, after Baldoni failed to meet the deadline to file an amended complaint, finalizing the dismissal of the $400 million claim. However, the original lawsuit from Blake Lively against Baldoni still remains active.

---

Court ends Justin Baldoni’s $400 million legal battle against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively at the New York City (Image via Getty)

Besides dismissing the $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, the judge also rejected Baldoni's $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times on June 9, 2025. Shedding light on this controversy, Lively shared the news on her Instagram stories the same day. The Gossip Girl actress wrote:

"Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back."

Baldoni's defamation suit claimed that the New York Times, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist had conspired to ruin his career by spreading false allegations. Following the dismissal, Lively's lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, released a statement asserting that Judge Liman's decision represented:

"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”.

They further added:

"As we have said from day one, this [$400m] 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 … and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”

In his June ruling, Judge Liman decided that Lively's initial sexual harassment allegations were legally protected under a California law enacted following the #MeToo movement. This key decision meant that Baldoni could not use those allegations as the basis for a defamation claim. Furthermore, Lively's case against Bladoni remains active with a trial date set for March 2026.

---

Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Suchita Patnaha