Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's lawsuits against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and New York Times
A New York judge has tossed out Justin Baldoni's $400-million US defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, while also dismissing a $250-million US defamation suit against the New York Times for reporting on Lively's claims of sexual harassment during the filming of the 2024 movie It Ends With Us.
Judge Lewis J. Liman granted the motions to dismiss the suits from Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios on Monday, saying Lively was not liable for sexual misconduct claims against the 41-year-old because they were made in a civil rights complaint and are legally protected.
In his written opinion, Liman noted Baldoni and Wayfarer had not alleged Lively was liable for any other claims than the ones made in her civil suit.
In her own lawsuit, Lively, 37, has accused Baldoni of harassment, alleging that he and Wayfarer conducted a co-ordinated smear campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.
Baldoni, too, has accused the actor of trying to destroy his reputation.
Liman wrote that Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloan and the New York Times also did not make statements beyond what Lively had alleged about Baldoni.
"The Wayfarer parties have alleged that Reynolds and Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct, and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer parties of engaging in a smear campaign. But 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," the opinion reads.
Liman is allowing Baldoni to amend some of his claims and refile by June 23.
Lively's legal team celebrated Monday's decision.
"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," Lively's lawyers said in a statement published by Variety.
"As we have said from Day 1, 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, [Steve] Sarowitz, [Melissa] Nathan, and the other Wayfarer parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation."
Baldoni's suit, filed in December, sought at least $400 million in damages that include lost future income.
Lively filed her own federal lawsuit against Baldoni and several others tied to It Ends With Us, alleging harassment and a co-ordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set of the romantic drama.
That suit was filed in New York just hours after Baldoni and many of the other defendants in Lively's suit sued The New York Times for libel for its story on her allegations, saying the newspaper and the star were the ones conducting a co-ordinated smear campaign.
cbc.ca
