US Judge Dismisses Justin Baldoni’s $400 Million Lawsuits Against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds –

In a decisive ruling on June 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed actor-director Justin Baldoni’s two high‑profile lawsuits: a $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane, and a separate $250 million defamation suit against The New York Times. The suits accused the defendants of extortion, defamation, and reputational harm stemming from Lively’s December 2024 sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni on the set of It Ends With Us.

Judge Liman found that Lively’s harassment allegations—filed with the California Civil Rights Department and later in federal court—are legally protected, eliminating any valid defamation claim. Likewise, claims against Reynolds, Sloane, and The New York Times failed due to insufficient evidence that they acted with “actual malice” or knowingly disseminated false statements.

Liman also rejected Baldoni’s extortion allegations, noting the defendants’ conduct did not meet the legal threshold under California law. However, Baldoni’s team has until June 23 to revise and refile certain claims related to breach of implied covenant and tortious interference.

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Lively’s legal team celebrated the ruling, calling it a “total victory” and “complete vindication,” and signaled plans to seek attorneys’ fees, treble damages, and punitive compensation. The Times likewise praised the decision for upholding press freedom.

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