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Actor Blake Lively has expressed “love and gratitude” to those who stood by her after a federal judge threw out Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against her and husband Ryan Reynolds.
Baldoni was suing Lively and Reynolds, their publicist, and The New York Times for defamation. In the lawsuit, Baldoni alleged they tried to destroy his career using false allegations of sexual harassment.
New York federal Judge Lewis J. Liman decided to dismiss the lawsuit — which also included allegations of extortion and additional claims — finding that Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment were legally protected.
The judge allowed Baldoni to amend and refile some of the actor’s allegations regarding interference with contracts, imposing a deadline of June 23.
"Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us," the It Ends With Us actor wrote on her Instagram Stories on Monday, June 9. "While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back."
Lively added she is now "more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story."
"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," she wrote.
In a statement to The Independent, Lively’s lawyers said, “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, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times.”
“As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it. We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
The Independent has contacted Baldoni’s lawyer for comment.
The legal battle between Baldoni and Lively stems from It Ends With Us, their 2024 film based on the TikTok sensation novel by Colleen Hoover. Lively played Lily Bloom in the film. Baldoni, who also directed the film, stars as Ryle Kincaid, her abusive partner.
Rumors of an on-set feud had been percolating online as the pair appeared to avoid each other during the film’s promotional tour. Lively was called out for a “tone-deaf” approach to the movie, as some felt she failed to treat its heavy subject matter with the appropriate solemnity.
Lively then filed a lawsuit in December 2024 alleging Baldoni sexually harassed her and exhibited behavior that caused her “severe emotional distress.”
Lively nearly stopped working on the film, she claimed. However, she agreed to continue to work give a series of requirements that – according to the lawsuit cited by TMZ – included “no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni’s alleged previous ‘pornography addiction,’ no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mentions of cast and crew’s genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake’s weight and no further mention of Blake’s dead father.”
She also alleged that Baldoni was behind an alleged smear campaign designed to “bury” her, which included fan backlash as part of a carefully orchestrated effort by Baldoni’s PR team.
Baldoni’s countersuit, filed in early 2025 just days after Lively’s, was the one dismissed by the judge Monday.
Prior to the dismissal, the latest update in the saga came just days ago when Lively withdrew emotional distress claims. The decision is thought to be a response to attempts by Baldoni’s legal team to obtain Lively’s medical records, including therapy notes and other health details, as part of the discovery process.
Last month, Baldoni’s team withdrew a subpoena that would have called on Taylor Swift to testify in the trial, which is scheduled for March 2026.
English (US) ·