Court dismisses Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit against Blake Lively
For 400 million dollars
A New York court has dismissed Justin Baldoni’s 400 million dollar lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. According to The Guardian, the case centered on allegations of sexual harassment and defamation related to the filming of the movie “It Ends With Us.”
Judge Lewis Liman ruled that Lively’s statements about Baldoni’s inappropriate behavior are protected by law.
Lively’s lawyers called the court’s decision “a complete victory.” They plan to seek compensation from Baldoni for legal expenses and penalties for filing a baseless claim. As noted by The Guardian, Baldoni may appeal the decision, but it remains unclear whether he will do so.
The legal conflict between Lively and Baldoni began last year amid rumors of tensions between them during the filming of “It Ends With Us,” where they played the lead roles (and Baldoni also served as the director). The “Gossip Girl” star accused her co-star of sexual harassment in various forms, as well as making derogatory comments about her appearance.
Baldoni denied all allegations. In court, he stated that the evidence against him had been fabricated. His team also launched a website publishing private messages between Baldoni, Lively, and her husband. In legal documents, Justin claimed they attempted to usurp his role as the director of a film that went on to become a box office success. Baldoni and his representatives also alleged that Lively distorted the content of the text messages and misled the public about their interactions on set.
Afterward, Lively accused Baldoni of orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation. In turn, he filed a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times following an article that described a supposed “smear machine” allegedly initiated by Baldoni in the media against Lively. The newspaper denied all accusations.
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