A federal judge has dismissed actor Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times.
Baldoni directed and starred with Lively in the 2024 movie It Ends With Us, based on the novel by Colleen Hoover.
After the movie’s release, Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during filming. She filed a legal complaint against Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios.
The New York Times published an article about the legal battle and the crisis team working for Baldoni. In response, Baldoni and Wayfarer sued Lively and Reynolds, claiming defamation and extortion. They also filed a $250 million libel suit against the Times, which was later merged into the $400 million case.
On Monday, Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that Baldoni failed to prove that Lively acted with “actual malice,” which is required for a defamation case. Regarding the Times, the judge said the newspaper reported what it believed was true.
Blake Lively’s legal team called the dismissal “a total victory and a complete vindication.”
Baldoni and his legal team have not yet responded to the ruling.
This decision brings a major win for Blake Lively as her legal fight comes to an end — for now.
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