Justin Baldoni’s lawyer said Blake Lively should hold off on celebrating after a judge dismissed the actor’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against her.
“Let us be clear about the latest ruling. While the court dismissed the defamation related claims, the court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations,” Bryan Freedman said in a statement to TMZ.
Newsweek reached out to Lively’s lawyer outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
The Context
Baldoni, 41, and Lively, 37, co-starred in the 2024 film It Ends With Us. In December, Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing him of sexual harassment on set. Baldoni—who also directed the movie—and production company Wayfarer Studios responded in a now-dismissed $400 million lawsuit against her, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane, citing defamation, extortion and more.
Baldoni also sued The New York Times for $250 million, accusing the newspaper of defamation after it published what he believed was a biased narrative by Lively.
On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman dismissed both the $400 million lawsuit and the $250 million lawsuit, as Lively’s sexual harassment accusations were legally protected. The judge noted, however, that Baldoni’s legal team could amend the breach of implied covenant and tortious interference claims.
Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Porsche; Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
What To Know
On Tuesday, Freedman made it clear that Baldoni and Lively’s legal battle isn’t over.
“Ms. Lively and her team’s predictable declaration of victory is false,” Freedman said.
“This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign, which Ms. Lively’s own team conveniently describes as ‘untraceable’ because they cannot prove what never happened,” he told TMZ.
“Most importantly, Ms. Lively’s own claims are no truer today than they were yesterday, and with the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms. Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking.”
On Monday, Lively posted a statement to her Instagram Stories following the judge’s ruling.
“Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back,” she shared with her 43.4 million followers. “I’m 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.”
That same day, the Gossip Girl alum was all smiles at the Chanel Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner, while Reynolds appeared to be in good spirits, too. The Deadpool star, 48, smiled in an Instagram Stories photo posted to his account following the motion, People reported.
What People Are Saying
Blake Lively’s lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, in a statement after the judge’s dismissal: “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.”
Sigrid McCawley, an attorney representing Leslie Sloane, in a statement: “Leslie Sloane has consistently said that she never defamed Baldoni or the Wayfarer Parties and she was wrongfully dragged into this lawsuit because the Wayfarer Parties wanted to actively harm Sloane’s reputation. Today’s decision by the court makes clear that Sloane did nothing wrong. Sloane stands fully vindicated, and justice has been served.”
The New York Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said: “We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting. Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism.”
What Happens Next
Baldoni’s legal team has until June 23 to refile their amended claims.
