Justin Baldoni Won’t Revise Claims Against Blake Lively in Dismissed Lawsuit

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Justin Baldoni has chosen not to resubmit his counterclaims in the lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

The news arrived weeks ago, following Judge Lewis J. Liman’s dismissal of Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against Lively (aged 37) and Reynolds (aged 48). This legal response from Baldoni ensued after Lively implicated her co-star and director for Baldoni (aged 41), in instances of sexual harassment, hostile work environment creation, and orchestrating a smear campaign against her, following their collaboration on the upcoming 2024 film titled “It Ends With Us.

On that specific occasion, the judge pointed out that Baldoni retained the opportunity to revise his allegations regarding a breach of an implied contractual duty and tortuous disruption of a contract, pertaining to Lively. However, he was required to make these revisions no later than Monday, June 23.

Bryan Freedman, lawyer for actor-director Baldoni, shared with People magazine on June 24th that Baldoni has decided not to submit any revisions or amendments. Instead, he will concentrate on the forthcoming trial involving himself and Lively, scheduled for December 2024, regarding her lawsuit accusing him of misconduct.

In a statement, Freedman clarified that the court’s decision to dismiss the motion doesn’t impact the fact that there was no harassment or smear campaign, and it does not influence our strong defense against Ms. Lively’s allegations in any way.

The lawyer went on to say: “The investigation is moving forward, and we remain optimistic that we’ll succeed in overcoming these unfounded allegations. Rather than modifying the current charges, our clients intend to explore further legal avenues open to us.

A representative from Lively commented on the recent legal development, stating to Us Weekly on Tuesday: “The court completely discarded the unwarranted $400 million Baldoni-Wayfarer lawsuit. Contrary to what Baldoni’s attorney claimed afterwards, the judge’s decision to dismiss their case was indeed significant and not just a minor setback. As it often happens, this was not accurate. The court’s rejection of Baldoni’s fraudulent lawsuit marks a complete victory for us.

Furthermore, a reliable insider revealed to us, “The lawsuit’s dismissal by the judge initially didn’t signify the end because Bryan Freedman indicated they would revise and refile – and now it’s not over as they are exploring other legal avenues. At some stage, even their loyal followers must acknowledge that they might be being misguided.

Following the release of “It Ends With Us” in August 2024, I, as one of its dedicated followers, was shocked to learn, months later, about allegations made by Lively, who was also a producer on the film. She accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, and orchestrating an alleged smear campaign against her in a lawsuit filed that December.

I, Baldoni, firmly refuted all accusations leveled against me, and in the same month, I retaliated with a countersuit. In this suit, I implicated Lively, Reynolds, and my former publicist, Leslie Sloane, accusing them of extortion, defamation, and additional charges. (Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane all denied these allegations.)

Additionally, Baldoni took legal action by filing a libel lawsuit worth $250 million against The New York Times, due to their reporting on the original accusation made against him by Lively.

On June 9, Judge Liman chose to dismiss Baldoni’s law suit against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane. Furthermore, he decided to terminate the case involving _The New York Times_ as well.

In his statement to Us on June 10, Baldoni’s lawyer Freedman clarified that the assertion by Ms. Lively and her team about a victory was untrue. Although the court dismissed defamation-related claims, it invited them to strengthen four out of seven accusations against Ms. Lively. This legal battle revolves around allegations of fabricated sexual harassment and retaliation, along with an imaginary smear campaign, which Ms. Lively’s team characterizes as ‘untraceable’ because they can’t validate events that supposedly didn’t occur.

He asserted, “Firstly, the statements made by Ms. Lively hold no more validity today than they did yesterday. With the facts supporting us, we move ahead with the same conviction that we had when this conflict began, initiated by Ms. Lively and her associates. We eagerly anticipate her upcoming deposition, which I will be conducting. We appreciate the natural backing from the public and the diligence of the online investigation community who have been following this case closely, demonstrating discernment and integrity.

Meanwhile, Lively’s legal team expressed great satisfaction with the verdict, stating in a release, “Today’s decision is an absolute win and a complete exoneration for Blake Lively, as well as those who were unjustly involved in Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties’ retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times.

Lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb went on to say: “From the very beginning, we’ve maintained that the ‘400 million dollar’ lawsuit was a deception. The Court recognized this, and we eagerly anticipate the next phase of our case. This involves seeking lawyers’ fees, triple damages, and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and other Wayfarer Parties who engaged in this abusive litigation.

Despite being content with the judge’s decision, Lively’s team persisted in their efforts to shield Taylor Swift‘s correspondence from being presented in the primary trial. This is because Taylor Swift’s song “My Tears Ricochet” was utilized in “It Ends With Us”, but she had no involvement in the film’s production. Initially, Baldoni’s team had requested her testimony, but this demand was later withdrawn by the court.

The court, represented by Judge Liman, refused Lively’s request for a protective order over Swift’s communications with Lively, which were related to the movie. However, they emphasized that Baldoni’s legal team was entitled to view these exchanges and texts, but solely in connection with the film.

A representative for Lively commented on the court decision to Us magazine, stating, “The court refused the request by the Wayfarer groups to obtain documents from Ms. Lively, who has provided significantly more documents in this case than the Wayfarer parties combined. Additionally, the court’s ruling on the protective order is based on the Wayfarer parties’ admission that they received no information from Taylor Swift, which contradicts what their alleged insider claimed just two weeks ago.

The statement further explained, “Regarding the remaining points, Justin Baldoni and his associates at Wayfarer requested permission to view Taylor Swift’s private messages – even though they had previously issued and then withdrew a subpoena for the same. Since August 2024, Baldoni has persistently tried to involve Taylor Swift in this matter (Lively Amended Complaint, Exhibit D). The PR firm led by Melissa Nathan included her in their ‘Scenario Planning’ document, labeled her a bully, and proposed a strategy to manipulate the ‘TS fanbase’ (Lively Amended Complaint, 214(b)). We will continue to highlight Baldoni’s persistent attempts to capitalize on Taylor Swift’s fame, which from the start has been merely a diversion from the serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation that he and the Wayfarer parties are confronting.

Lively and Baldoni’s trial is scheduled for March 2026.

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2025-06-25 08:24