Judge Dismisses Justin Baldoni $400M Suit Against Blake Lively

Blake Lively has achieved a significant legal victory as a judge dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against her, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist, which alleged defamation and extortion related to her sexual harassment claims. The judge ruled that Lively's allegations were made within privileged court documents, protecting her from liability, and found no evidence that Reynolds, her publicist, or The New York Times acted with actual malice in reporting or commenting on the case. Baldoni also filed a separate $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times, which was similarly dismissed. Despite Baldoni's claims that the media coverage and legal actions were part of a smear campaign against him, the court found the reporting to be based on a legally protected complaint and consistent with available evidence. While Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni for sexual harassment remains active with trial proceedings scheduled, Baldoni's countersuits have been dismissed, marking a notable win for Lively and her team. The legal battle, stemming from tensions on the set of their 2024 film "It Ends With Us," has drawn extensive media attention due to the high-profile nature of the parties involved and the serious allegations made.