Movies

Blake Lively’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni is upended as he makes surprising legal move

BBG News

In simpler terms, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni‘s dispute, which has been likened to a battle on a stage, has become more focused as Justin has decided not to change or retract any of the allegations in his $400 million defamation lawsuit against her.

Earlier this month, a judge dismissed the lawsuit that Baldoni, aged 41, had filed against the actress (aged 37), her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist. However, Baldoni was given the chance to revise some parts of his complaint in order to refile the lawsuit.

However, on Tuesday, it was declared by attorney Bryan Freedman that Baldoni would not modify or alter any of the claims in the dismissed legal case.

According to Freedman’s statement to DailyMail.com, the court’s decision to dismiss the motion has zero impact on the fact that there was no harassment or smear campaign, and it doesn’t change our strong stance in defending against Ms. Lively’s allegations in any way.

He went on to say, “Progress is being made, and we’re optimistic that we’ll overcome these unfounded allegations. Rather than modifying our current assertions, our clients intend to explore further legal strategies that we can employ.

Although Baldoni’s lawsuit was initially dismissed in her favor, Lively has continued to press ahead with her own lawsuit. Recently, she issued a number of new subpoenas.

A representative from Lively additionally commented on the reports that Baldoni was abandoning his unsuccessful effort to file a countersuit against her, speaking with DailyMail.com.

They announced that they entirely rejected the baseless $400 million lawsuit filed by Baldoni-Wayfarer, as it had been deemed trivial.

After the court’s ruling to dismiss the case, Baldoni’s lawyer downplayed the significance, stating they would make revisions and resubmit it. However, as is often the case, their statement proved false. The judge’s dismissal of Baldoni’s fraudulent lawsuit was indeed a complete triumph for the court.

Two weeks ago, Judge Lewis J. Liman rejected Baldoni’s lawsuit, yet he granted her another chance to revise the claim by June 23.

Nevertheless, the judge decided that he was permitted to modify the accusations pertaining solely to the charges of tortious interference with a contract and breach of an implied promise.

In a comprehensive, 132-page ruling, the court explained why the claims made in Baldoni’s lawsuit lacked validity. This included the assertion that Lively, her spouse, and their publicist Leslie Sloane had perpetrated ‘civil blackmail,’ as it is more commonly known in everyday speech.

The judge states that the Wayfarer Parties cannot sue Lively for the supposed act of taking control of the film from Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties, even if such actions were improper. However, these actions do not meet the criteria for civil extortion under California law because extortion in this state involves a plaintiff demanding money or property through threats, with the goal of getting it back.

Nevertheless, the Wayfarer Groups failed to convincingly claim that Lively’s actions were unlawful blackmail instead of reasonable negotiation or renegotiation of work terms. Furthermore, they have not provided evidence demonstrating that some of Lively’s supposed extortionate actions caused them harm.

In my professional opinion, when breaking down the extortion case’s central point, the judge found that Lively, Sloane, and Reynolds presented the more convincing arguments.

In the ruling, the judge declined the petitions submitted by Reynolds, Sloane, and Vision PR for compensation covering legal fees and expenses. Furthermore, a petition made by Lively was also turned down, which sought attorney’s fees, triple damages, and punitive damages.

The above motions were denied without prejudice in accordance with the ruling.

Wayfarer Studios was founded by Baldoni and billionaire businessman Steve Sarowitz in 2019. 

Today, I’m elated to share that the court’s decision fully vindicates me, alongside others unjustly pulled into Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties’ retaliatory lawsuit – this includes my esteemed colleagues Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times. This victory is comprehensive!

From the beginning, it was clear that the $400 million lawsuit was nothing but a deception. The court, with its keen insight, recognized this fact as well.

As a dedicated admirer, I eagerly anticipate the ensuing legal battle where we aim to recover attorneys’ fees, treble damages, and punitive damages from Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and all other parties involved with Wayfarer who orchestrated this malicious litigation.

According to a representative from The New York Times, who spoke with DailyMail.com, they appreciate the court recognizing the lawsuit against The New York Times as it was: a baseless effort to suppress truthful journalism.

Our reporters diligently and impartially reported on a significant news story, and the court acknowledged that such journalism is meant to be safeguarded by law. Rest assured, we remain committed to defending our journalistic efforts and our journalists when their work faces criticism in the courtroom.

Liman also expressed his thoughts about the precautions Lively requested on the set of It Ends With Us, aimed at ensuring a more comfortable working environment. His viewpoint was that employees have the right to demand workplace protections against sexual harassment without being labeled as extortionists. Even if these measures turn out to be unnecessary, an employee can still assert such rights. Furthermore, an employer cannot subsequently claim to have been victimized by the employee’s alleged wrongful threats if they grant those protections.

Furthermore, Liman clarified regarding Lively’s claim about withholding film promotion unless certain demands were met, including the release of her cut: ‘It’s also important to note that there was no allegation that Lively had a contractual obligation to promote the movie; thus, if she didn’t, it can’t be assumed that the value she provided through her willingness to promote was anything more than a reasonable exchange for the Wayfarer Parties agreeing to release her share.’

As an ardent fan, I can’t help but share this intriguing detail: The court found that the remarks made by Reynolds and Sloan, seemingly unrelated to the original complaint, weren’t substantiated with actual malice. In other words, Baldoni didn’t present facts showing that Reynolds and Sloane knowingly spoke falsehoods or disregarded the truth carelessly in making their statements.

A party that can now relax following the dismissal of Baldoni’s lawsuit is Marvel Entertainment, LLC.

Baldoni issued a subpoena to the studio, demanding them to save any records linked to the character Nicepool featuring Deadpool and Wolverine. According to his legal representatives, this character was designed to insult, harass, humiliate, or intimidate Baldoni.

Following the dismissal of Baldoni’s lawsuit, Liman consented to Marvel’s petition to eliminate the subpoena served to Marvel by Baldoni’s Wayfarer Parties and also sought a protective order preventing the disclosure of Marvel’s confidential documents.

On January 7th, Baldoni’s team forwarded a letter asking for the preservation of necessary documents to both Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, and Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

Last year, the dispute between Lively and Baldoni became an official court case, following whispers of strain between them. The actress claimed that her co-star had subjected her to sexual harassment and launched a counterattack, which she characterized as a defamatory campaign. However, Baldoni refuted these allegations.

In her legal action, Lively listed several individuals who work with Baldoni, such as Wayfarer Studios (his production company), its CEO and primary investor, and public relations representatives Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.

In her conversation with The New York Times, Lively expressed her hope that her legal action would expose the hidden, harmful tactics used against individuals who expose wrongdoing, thereby safeguarding others who might face similar situations in the future.

In response to the claims made by Lively, Baldoni denies them. Meanwhile, Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane also deny the accusations leveled against Baldoni in court proceedings.

Baldoni’s group has unveiled a site showcasing personal correspondences, like text messages, that were disclosed in legal documents and shed light on his discussions with the influential Hollywood duo regarding the production of their romantic movie.

In legal documents, he asserted that they attempted to seize control and sabotage his role as the director for It Ends with Us.

Previously, Baldoni’s team stated that the documents filed in court provide clarity regarding the intentions behind each party’s actions.

The active website located at thelawsuitinfo.com emerges during a series of notable lawsuits involving the creators of the movie that enjoyed success in August’s box office.

On December 20th, Lively lodged an 80-page civil rights grievance with the California Civil Rights Authority, preceding the formal submission of a federal lawsuit which was filed on December 31st against Baldoni.

As a loyal follower, I’m recounting an allegation made by a former Gossip Girl cast member. She claimed that Baldoni had subjected her to sexual harassment in various forms, such as body shaming, and furthermore, she asserted that he orchestrated a malicious campaign aimed at tarnishing her reputation.

Baldoni asserted to the court that the group fabricated allegations of “inappropriate behavior” or “unfounded claims of sexual misconduct” against him.

In reply to the lawsuit, Baldoni and his representatives asserted that Lively distorted the true meaning of text messages and deceived the public regarding the nature of their communications during the production of the film.

On June 3rd, DailyMail.com reported that Lively, aged 37, withdrew her allegations of intentionally and negligently causing emotional distress against Baldoni.

Later on, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against the publication for an alleged defamation of character, seeking $250 million in damages. The newspaper has since refuted these claims.

Ever since Lively lodged her complaint, Baldoni has experienced several career repercussions. Among these are a lawsuit filed by a previous publicist and getting dropped by the agency WME, who also manage Lively and Reynolds.

According to Variety, Variety reports that WME refutes allegations that Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively pressured them to remove Baldoni from their list of clients.

The movie titled “It Ends with Us,” featuring Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar, and Kevin McKidd, premiered on August 9 and was well-received by viewers. Based on the 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover, this film grossed approximately $148 million in U.S. box office sales and an impressive $350 million worldwide, as reported by Box Office Mojo.

In 2005, I made my mark in the movie scene with “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” sharing the screen with Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, and America Ferrera. This breakthrough role paved the way for my prominent part on the television show “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012, where I portrayed Serena van der Woodsen, a leading character.

Apart from that, she can be seen in films like “The Town” (2010), “The Shallows” (2016), “A Simple Favor” (2018), and “The Rhythm Section” (2020).

Before writing “It Ends with Us”, Baldoni gained significant recognition for his portrayal of Rafael Solano on the TV series Jane the Virgin from 2014 to 2019. Additionally, he has directed movies such as Five Feet Apart (2019) and Clouds (2020), and authored the book “Man Enough” in 2021, which addressed misconceptions about modern masculinity.

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2025-06-25 03:35

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