A federal judge decided to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane. The lawsuit, filed in January, sought damages of at least 400 million dollars, alleging future income losses and damages for defamation.
Baldoni’s countersuit arose approximately two weeks after Lively initiated legal actions against him, accusing him of harassment and of having orchestrated, along with other members of the “It Ends With Us” movie team, a campaign to damage her reputation after reporting inappropriate behavior on set.
Later, Lively amended her initial complaint to include allegations that Baldoni had also made other women uncomfortable during the filming.
The judge also dismissed the lawsuit against The New York Times
In addition to the accusations against Lively and his associates, Baldoni had sued The New York Times, the most important media outlet in the United States, claiming that it had collaborated in the alleged defamatory campaign. However, Federal Judge Lewis J. Liman also dismissed this accusation.
According to NBC News, Liman allowed Baldoni’s legal team to reformulate certain parts of his lawsuit related to contractual interference and breach of an implied agreement. The deadline to submit this modified version is until June 23rd.
On the other hand, Lively’s lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, described the court decision as a "total victory and a complete vindication for their client and all those involved in the defense, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times." In a statement, the legal representatives stated that Baldoni’s lawsuit "was a farce and that “the court clearly saw through it.”
They added that, looking ahead to the next stage of the process, they will seek the recovery of legal fees, triple damages, and punitive damages against Baldoni, producer Sarowitz, Nathan, and other individuals at Wayfarer Studios, whom they accuse of promoting abusive litigation.
The root of the conflict: the filming of “It Ends With Us”
The dispute between Baldoni and Lively arose after the completion of the filming of the movie “It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s book. In her original complaint, Lively claimed to have been a victim of sexual harassment by the director and stated that she faced retaliation when trying to report the situation.
According to his version, Baldoni hired a crisis management firm to develop a campaign that, through social media and other outlets, would seek to damage his public image. These accusations have been completely denied by Baldoni.
In an unexpected twist, singer Taylor Swift was mentioned during the trial, as Baldoni’s legal team tried to subpoena her as a witness. In response, a spokesperson for the singer called the attempt a sensationalist maneuver that sought to leverage her name to capture public attention. This caused a rift in the friendship between Swift and Lively.
Last week, a judge denied Lively the possibility of unilaterally withdrawing her claims for emotional distress. This request was made by the actress as an alternative to providing her medical and mental health records, which were required by Baldoni’s defense.
The trial between both parties is scheduled for March 2026, in what is expected to be one of the most publicized legal battles in the entertainment industry in recent years.