Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and the New York Times has officially been dismissed by a federal judge.
On Monday, June 9, 2025, Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled in favor of Lively and the other defendants, effectively putting an end to what has become one of Hollywood’s most heated legal showdowns in recent memory.
Baldoni, 41, initially filed the massive lawsuit after Blake accused him of causing her “severe emotional distress” during their work on the film It Ends with Us. He fired back with serious accusations of his own, claiming Lively and Reynolds had engaged in extortion and defamation, and he separately went after the New York Times for $250 million in a defamation suit. But none of that stuck.
Blake’s legal team, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, didn’t hold back in their response after the court’s decision. In a statement obtained by People, they called the countersuit a “sham,” adding, “Today’s opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit.”
They made it clear that this isn’t over yet: “We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages, and punitive damages against Baldoni, [Steve] Sarowitz, [Melissa] Nathan and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
The whole situation has been messy. Blake, 37, previously accused Baldoni of using “sinister retaliatory tactics” to silence people who speak out about misconduct. In an interview with the New York Times, she said, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”
Baldoni, who also directed the 2024 adaptation of It Ends with Us, strongly denied those allegations. His attorney, Bryan Freedman, described them as “categorically false” and claimed they were made to damage Baldoni’s reputation in the public eye.
With the case now dismissed, Baldoni faces not just public scrutiny but potentially major financial consequences. Blake’s team is coming after him for damages and legal fees, and they’re not mincing words about how serious they are.
For now, the legal win is a big moment for Lively and those named in the suit. As for Baldoni, the dismissal could mark the beginning of an even more costly chapter.
This ruling sends a clear message: retaliatory lawsuits, especially in high-profile Hollywood feuds, won’t get far if they’re built on shaky ground.
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