{"id":10733,"date":"2025-06-11T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/?p=10733"},"modified":"2025-06-10T13:46:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T13:46:58","slug":"shock-blow-to-justin-baldoni-sees-his-lawsuit-against-blake-lively-fall-apart-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/2025\/06\/11\/shock-blow-to-justin-baldoni-sees-his-lawsuit-against-blake-lively-fall-apart-heres-how\/","title":{"rendered":"The shocking reason Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit against Blake Lively fell apart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-post-title” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Black Han Sans|700||on|||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”46px” header_letter_spacing=”4px” custom_margin=”25px||5px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Shock triumph for Blake Lively in legal battle with Justin Baldoni – how did his case implode?<\/span><\/h1>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”intro-wrap” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|on||||||” text_text_color=”#808080″ text_font_size=”16px” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]

The judge has dismissed Justin Baldoni’s countersuit in its entirety.\u00a0<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-name” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font=”|||on|||||” header_4_text_align=”center” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Words by Nikki Peach<\/strong><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1928881520.jpg” alt=”Jennifer Aniston” title_text=”Celebrity Sightings In Jersey City – January 12, 2024″ force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

With\u00a0It Ends With Us\u00a0<\/em>co-stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively not expected to meet each other in court until March 2025, the latest development in their legal battle is not one anyone saw coming. Baldoni\u2019s $400 million (\u00a3295m) counter lawsuit \u2013 in which he accused Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds of defamation and civil extortion \u2013 has been dismissed by the judge.<\/p>\n

On 9 June, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed Baldoni\u2019s countersuit, which he filed at the end of December after Lively accused him of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her during the press run of\u00a0It Ends With Us<\/em>.\u00a0Lively also shared details of her allegations in a New York Times<\/em> article published before the lawsuit was made public. Baldoni also sued the publication for $250 million for \u2018acting with malice\u2019 by publishing a \u2018one-sided version of events\u2019, but judge Liman has dismissed that lawsuit as well.<\/p>\n

In explaining why Baldoni\u2019s lawsuits have been dismissed, the judge said Baldoni\u2019s lawsuits centred on two claims: that Lively \u2018stole the film\u2019 from him and his production company, Wayfarer, by threatening not to promote it, and that she promoted a false narrative by accusing him of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign.<\/p>\n

The judge wrote that Baldoni and his legal team \u2018have not adequately alleged that Lively\u2019s threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions\u2019. He continued that Baldoni and his production company have not proved defamation because the \u2018Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements\u2019 in her lawsuit, which are privileged.<\/p>\n

As for the related countersuit against\u00a0The New York Times,<\/em> the judge determined that evidence did not show the publication \u2018acted with actual malice\u2019 by publishing the story. \u2018The alleged facts indicate that the Times<\/em> reviewed the available evidence and reported, perhaps in a dramatized manner, what it believed to have happened,\u2019 he wrote. \u2018The Times<\/em> had no obvious motive to favour Lively\u2019s version of events.\u2019<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t end there, either. Baldoni\u2019s team was also dealt a third blow as the judge granted Marvel\u2019s request to quash the subpoena that would mean the studio has to keep documents that might prove a character in\u00a0Deadpool & Wolverine<\/em> was designed to bully him. Baldoni\u2019s lawyers had previously sent a litigation hold letter to Marvel demanding that it keep documents that might prove Reynolds created \u2018Nicepool\u2019, a faux feminist with a man bun who makes inappropriate comments to Lively\u2019s character \u2018Ladypool\u2019, as a way of mocking him. However, Marvel\u2019s request to be dropped from the lawsuit was also approved by the judge.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-quote” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”Libre Bodoni|||on|||||” header_2_text_align=”center” header_2_text_color=”#333333″ header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Baldoni’s team ‘has not adequately alleged that Lively\u2019s threats were wrongful extortion’.\u00a0<\/h2>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

So, where does this leave Lively and Baldoni\u2019s trial? Lively\u2019s team is understandably elated following the dismissal. Her lawyers called the opinion \u2018a 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<\/em>‘.<\/p>\n

\u2018As we have said from day one, this \u201c$400 million\u201d lawsuit was a sham, and the court saw right through it,\u2019 they continued. \u2018We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys\u2019 fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetuated this abusive litigation.\u2019<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Another Simple Favour\u00a0<\/em>actress responded to the news on Instagram writing: \u2018Like so many others, I\u2019ve 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\u2019t have the resources to fight back.\u2019 Lively added that she was \u2018more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman\u2019s right to have a voice in protecting themselves\u2019.<\/p>\n

Baldoni, on the other hand, has until the 23 June to amend and refile his allegations if he wants to pursue different claims related to whether Lively breached a contract. His team has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit dismissals, but will no doubt be reeling.<\/p>\n

If the actor does not amend his countersuit, he will attend court next year solely in the capacity of a defendant.<\/p>\n

Given how much publicity the entire feud has generated \u2013\u00a0online, in the media and in court \u2013 there will be plenty of people around the world awaiting a formal response from Baldoni. The countersuit dismissal could spell the end of the unrelenting back and forth between the two actors, or it could reignite Baldoni\u2019s team to renegotiate. Even so, the judge\u2019s ruling is an unequivocal victory for team Lively and is being celebrated as such by her team.<\/p>\n

Whether it means the story will disappear from our news and social feeds until Lively’s case heads to trial next year is another question entirely. Grazia<\/em> will keep you informed either way.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#111111″ divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”2px” module_class=”custom-divider” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-texts” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|||on|||||” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Photo: <\/b>IMAGO<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The judge has dismissed Justin Baldoni’s countersuit in its entirety. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":9547,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"guestgrazia","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10733"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10733\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10745,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10733\/revisions\/10745"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}