Actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni has suffered a significant legal setback after a judge dismissed his high-profile countersuit against actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, and The New York Times.
According to People Magazine, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed the $400 million lawsuit filed by Baldoni, which accused Lively and Reynolds of blackmail and damaging his reputation. In a separate ruling, the judge also rejected Baldoni’s $250 million defamation claim against The New York Times.
While the case was dismissed in its entirety, Judge Liman granted Baldoni’s legal team the opportunity to revise and refile parts of the complaint, specifically regarding claims of breach of implied covenant and tortious interference, by June 23. “The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged,” the judge noted in the ruling.
Further explaining the decision, Judge Liman wrote, “The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] 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.”
He concluded, “The Wayfarer Parties’ additional claims also fail. Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety.” The legal drama stems from a December lawsuit in which Blake Lively accused her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni denied the allegations and responded with a sweeping countersuit that accused Lively and her husband, Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.
The case quickly attracted media attention due to the high-profile names involved and the serious nature of the accusations. Despite the dismissal, the ruling leaves the door open for Baldoni’s attorneys to attempt to revive parts of the case, provided they can meet the legal standards set by the court. As of now, representatives for Baldoni, Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times have not issued further statements regarding the dismissal. The deadline to file an amended complaint is set for June 23.