Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni’s US$400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

A judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni’s US$400 million defamation lawsuit against Hollywood power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, a major development in the ongoing civil litigation between former co-stars Lively and Baldoni. Getty Images via CNN Newsource

A judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against Hollywood power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, a major development in the ongoing civil litigation between former co-stars Lively and Baldoni.

In January, Baldoni sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging that the Hollywood couple sought to “destroy” him and his career, after hijacking his film, “It Ends With US.”

Baldoni’s complaint escalated the ongoing legal battle stemming from the film that Baldoni directed and co-starred in with Lively.

In a statement, Lively’s lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb called the ruling “a total victory and a complete vindication.”

“As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,” the statement added.

Motions to dismiss Baldoni’s claims by Lively, Reynolds and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, were all granted. The judge also granted a motion to dismiss by the New York Times. Baldoni had sued the publication for $250 million for libel, claiming that the newspaper published an article “rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions” that relied on Lively’s “self-serving narrative.”

The judge ruled that Baldoni can file an amended complaint on the allegations of tortious interference with contract, relating to Reynolds and Lively, and breach of implied covenant, relating to Lively, by June 23, if they choose to do so.

In a statement, New York Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said, “We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting.”

“Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism,” the statement added. “We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.”

CNN has reached out to representatives for Baldoni for comment.

A months-long legal battle

The ongoing saga between Lively and Baldoni erupted in December 2024, when Lively first filed a civil rights complaint, claiming that she was sexually harassed by Baldoni during production of the film and then was retaliated against for speaking up about her alleged mistreatment. Baldoni immediately denied Lively’s claims.

Lively eventually escalated her civil rights complaint, officially filing a lawsuit against Baldoni.

She alleged that after being sexually harassed with inappropriate comments and behavior on set, Baldoni’s team then orchestrated a smear campaign against her to ruin her reputation in the public sphere. Lively’s complaint contained hundreds of text messages between Baldoni and his crisis PR team, including one text that read they could “bury” her.

The New York Times was the first to report – in an article titled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine” – that Lively had filed a complaint with Civil Rights Department about Baldoni’s alleged conduct on set of “It End With Us” and after production. Those complaints are typically confidential.

Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios, his business partner Jamey Heath, Wayfarer co-founder Steve Sarowitz, and members from Baldoni’s PR and crisis management team were all cited as plaintiffs on the suit against the Times.

The judge’s ruling did not address the merits of Baldoni’s complaint but rather held that Lively’s sexual harassment claims in her complaint were protected by law and could not form the basis of a defamation claim. He cited a piece of California legislation that came in response to the #MeToo movement.

He also wrote in his decision that the act of providing Lively’s complaint to the New York Times was not sufficient to constitute defamation “because the complaint is protected by the fair report privilege.”

As their legal fight unfolded, Baldoni’s team published a website containing texts and an alleged timeline relating to Lively’s claims. The website, a separate leaked voice note that Baldoni sent to Lively and several public statements made by Baldoni’s lawyer were the subject of several court hearings in recent months.

“It Ends With Us” starred Lively and Baldoni as an on-screen couple and featured instances of domestic violence.

Rumours of their fractured professional relationship began percolating during the film’s 2024 press tour.