U.S. Court Dismisses Justin Baldoni’s $400M Defamation Suit Against Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds

U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed actor-director Justin Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against co-star Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Lively’s publicist, also rejecting a related $250 million defamation claim against The New York Times.

Baldoni had sued after Lively accused him of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us, alleging fat-shaming, uninvited intimate content, and inappropriate behavior. He countered with claims of defamation and extortion, accusing Lively, Reynolds, and her publicist of orchestrating a smear campaign to damage his career

Legal Reasoning Behind Dismissal

• Protected Statements Doctrine: The judge ruled Lively’s allegations to a California state agency are “privileged” legal statements, protecting them from defamation claims .

• Lack of Actual Malice: Baldoni failed to demonstrate that Reynolds, the publicist, or The New York Times knowingly shared false statements — a legal requirement for defamation .

• Fair Reporting Privilege: The court determined The New York Times had the legal right to report on Lively’s complaint under the fair-reporting doctrine

However, Judge Liman allowed Baldoni’s team to amend and refile limited contract-based claims by June 23

Reactions & Next Moves

• Lively’s Legal Team: Attorneys Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb hailed the decision as a “total victory” and “complete vindication” for Lively, Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times

• Blake Lively’s Statement: She thanked supporters on Instagram, underscoring the importance of women being able to speak up without fear of retaliation and pledged support for those lacking resources to fight back

• Ryan Reynolds & Publicist: Similarly cleared; their actions were deemed protected reiterations of Lively’s initial allegations

• Next Legal Steps: Lively’s team plans to seek attorneys’ fees and punitive damages. Baldoni can still pursue narrower breach-of-contract or interference claims before the June 23 deadline. A trial on Lively’s original harassment suit is set for March 2026