A judge has dismissed actor Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. The judge ruled that Lively’s sexual harassment allegations are legally protected and cannot be the basis of a defamation claim.
Judge Lewis J. Liman threw out Baldoni’s entire lawsuit, which also included extortion and other claims. However, the judge allowed Baldoni to amend and refile some allegations related to interference with contracts.
Lively’s lawyers called the ruling a complete victory. They said, “This $400 million lawsuit was a sham, and the court saw right through it.” They also said they plan to seek attorneys’ fees, treble damages, and punitive damages against Baldoni and others involved in the lawsuit.
Lively previously sued Baldoni in federal court for sexual harassment and retaliation. She accused him and producers of the film It Ends With Us of launching a smear campaign against her after she reported unsafe working conditions on set.
In response, Baldoni filed the defamation suit against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times. He claimed they conspired to destroy his career with false accusations.
Judge Liman found that Lively’s original claims, which were made to the California Civil Rights Department and reported by The New York Times, are protected by litigation privilege. This means they cannot be used as the basis for defamation.
The judge also ruled that The New York Times’ reporting was protected under the “fair report” privilege. This allows news outlets to cover legal matters without being liable for defamation.
A spokesperson for The New York Times said they are “grateful to the court” for recognizing the lawsuit as an attempt to suppress truthful reporting. They said their journalists covered the story carefully and fairly and that they will continue to defend their journalism in court.
Ryan Reynolds was accused of defamation for allegedly calling Baldoni a “sexual predator.” The judge found Reynolds acted based on Lively’s account, which he had no reason to doubt.
Similarly, Leslie Sloane, Lively’s publicist, was found not to have defamed Baldoni in her communications with the Daily Mail. She also relied on Lively’s version of events.
A trial for Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation claims against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios is scheduled for March 2026.
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