Justin Baldoni’s $400 Million Countersuit Against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Dismissed by Court

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The lawsuit between actors Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively regarding the film It Ends With Us has seen a significant development. A federal judge has thrown out Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane.

As reported by PEOPLE, Judge Lewis J. Liman officially dismissed the case on Friday. The judge stated that Beau Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, failed to submit a revised complaint after their initial lawsuit was rejected earlier in the year.

The court initially dismissed the defamation case in June, allowing Baldoni to refile, but he never did. On October 17, Judge Liman checked with both sides to see if they intended to continue. Only Blake Lively’s legal team responded, requesting the case be closed while still pursuing her request for legal fees. The judge granted this request, although Baldoni can still appeal the decision.

As a huge cinema fan, I was really shocked to hear about the legal battle unfolding between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. It all started late last year when Lively filed a complaint with California’s Civil Rights Department, alleging s harassment by her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Baldoni. She also claimed he tried to damage her reputation. Eventually, she took the case to federal court in New York with a formal lawsuit. It’s a really sad situation, and I hope it gets resolved fairly.

Baldoni responded with a $400 million lawsuit of his own, claiming Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane had defamed him, broken their contract, and invaded his privacy. He also sued The New York Times for reporting on Lively’s initial complaint, seeking $250 million in damages for defamation.

In June, Judge Liman decided that Lively’s statements were legally protected since they were part of an official complaint and covered by legitimate news reporting. He also dismissed the accusations against Reynolds, Sloane, and The New York Times, finding no proof they intentionally spread false information.

Following the court’s decision, Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, declared a complete victory. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, they said the $400 million lawsuit was always a baseless claim and the court recognized that.

We anticipate the next phase of the legal process, where we will seek reimbursement for our legal fees, triple the amount of actual damages, and additional punitive damages from Baldoni, Steve Sarowitz, Melissa Nathan, and all other parties involved with Wayfarer who initiated this harmful lawsuit.

Later, Lively shared the results on her Instagram Stories, saying she felt both relieved and determined. She described the experience as difficult but emphasized that she’s now even more committed to supporting every woman’s right to protect herself and share her own story, safety, and dignity.

I’m really frustrated to see the other side celebrating. Our attorney, Bryan Freedman, pointed out that this whole thing is based on false claims of sexual harassment and retaliation. They’re claiming a ‘smear campaign’ that they even admit they can’t trace – because, frankly, it never happened! It’s just incredibly unfair to have these accusations thrown around without any proof.

Judge Liman’s ruling officially closes Baldoni’s publicized lawsuit, but it’s possible the legal issues aren’t fully resolved if Baldoni chooses to appeal the decision.

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2025-11-04 00:16