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The lawsuit against actress Blake Lively, filed by her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, was dismissed on June 9 by Judge Lewis J. Liman.
The $400 million lawsuit filed by Baldoni against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, alleged civil extortion and defamation. Baldoni’s lawsuit came in response to the statements made by Lively, Reynolds and Sloane in the wake of the lawsuit filed by Lively in December 2024. Lively had earlier filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging s*xual misconduct during the production of It Ends With Us, which was directed and produced by Baldoni.
Judge Liman, while dismissing the lawsuit, pointed out that the allegations of defamation claimed by Baldoni were based on comments related to the legal complaints filed by Lively. Since legal complaints are protected from claims of defamation, the judge opined that a case of defamation against Lively does not stand.
The court, while dismissing the defamation lawsuit, also dismissed the legal claims made against The New York Times by Baldoni and others associated with Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios. As per E! News, Judge Liman, while dismissing the lawsuit, wrote,
“Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD [California Civil Rights Department] complaint, which are privileged…the Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane, or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law.”
Blake Lively’s reaction to the dismissal of Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit
Blake Lively reacted through a story on her Instagram page after the defamation lawsuit filed against her by her co-star Justin Baldoni was dismissed.
In the story put up by the actress on June 9, Lively referred to the lawsuit dismissal and further shared details about her future course of action with regard to her advocacy of women’s rights. Lively, through her Instagram story, wrote,
“I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that lies to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back. I’m more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every women’s right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their dignity and their story.”
In her story, Lively had also attached the names of various legal aid organizations and groups that advocate for women’s rights, and added,
“There are protections out there. Check out some of the incredible organizations below for resources and information. With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don't. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you.”
As per E! News, Blake Lively’s lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, in their statement given to the publication, have hailed the dismissal of the lawsuit against their client as “a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively.”
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