Actress Blake Lively is seeking millions of dollars in damages from director and co-star Justin Baldoni, arguing that his failed defamation lawsuit against her was frivolous and retaliatory.
Lively accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her on the set of It Ends With Us and of launching an online smear campaign after she reported the behavior. Baldoni responded with a $400 million defamation suit, which a federal judge dismissed in June.
In a motion filed Monday, Lively’s legal team requested compensation for legal fees, emotional and economic harm, and punitive damages. They are also invoking California’s Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act, signed into law in 2023, which shields sexual harassment accusers from defamation suits if their complaints have a reasonable basis and are made without malice.
The case marks one of the first major tests of the law, which was introduced to prevent powerful figures from using defamation lawsuits to silence harassment claims.
Baldoni’s lawyers maintain that the statute does not apply. They argue Lively fabricated or exaggerated her allegations to seize control of the film’s production and repair her public image. They also contend that applying the law would deny Baldoni the right to defend himself in court.
While the lawsuit was dismissed, Judge Lewis Liman has not yet ruled on whether the California law covers the case. A trial on Lively’s harassment claims is scheduled for next spring in federal court in New York.
If successful, Lively could be awarded multiple millions in damages, with the possibility of a further hearing to determine the amount.
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