Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni: Why It Ends With Us Director’s Defamation Case Can’t Be Scrapped? Lawyers Reveal

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Justin Baldoni‘s legal team is arguing that Blake Lively cannot dismiss his defamation lawsuit. In their court hearing on April 3rd, they claimed that the law intended to shield harassment victims does not pertain to this case because Lively allegedly made false accusations.

If you’re not familiar, Justin Baldoni initiated a law suit worth $400 million against Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds in January, asserting that the pair were attempting to sabotage his career and seize control of his film “It Ends with Us” by making baseless accusations of harassment.

Blake Lively’s legal team tried to throw out the case by claiming that her statements were shielded under litigation privilege. They additionally referenced the Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act, a 2023 law, which safeguards individuals who make accusations of harassment from retaliatory defamation suits. This law provides defendants with immunity against such lawsuits and enables them to seek compensation for attorneys’ fees and damages if necessary.

In response, Baldoni’s legal team asserted that the protection covers only harassment claims with a solid foundation and are not made out of ill-will. They claimed that Fabricated falsely accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, either entirely or by amplifying insignificant (non-harassing) interactions, as part of a deliberate, vindictive strategy to take control of the film and later restore her reputation following a series of high-profile marketing blunders that harmed her image.

As an ardent fan, I can’t help but express my thoughts on the recent turn of events. Bryan Freedman, the lead counsel on Justin Baldoni’s team, has voiced his concerns. He claims that Blake Lively’s legal team is attempting to establish a potentially harmful precedent by leveraging the law to challenge Baldoni’s right to sue, as protected under the First Amendment.

Simultaneously, Baldoni’s team contended that the litigation privilege doesn’t pertain here, because The Shallows actress had already made her claims before submitting a civil rights lawsuit.

The team also referenced an interview from the 2022 Forbes Power Women’s Summit featuring Lively, suggesting this conversation lends credence to their assertion that the actress strived for creative control in the movie production.

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2025-04-04 15:37