A federal judge on Monday, dismissed actor and director Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, marking a significant development in the contentious legal battle surrounding their film It Ends With Us. In the wake of the ruling, Lively issued a powerful statement reaffirming her commitment to women’s rights and the fight against retaliatory lawsuits.Taking to her Instagram stories, Blake wrote, “Last week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organizations united in defending women’s rights to speak up for their safety. Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back. I’m more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman’s right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story. There are protections out there. Check out some of the incredible organizations below for resources and information. With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don’t. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you.”The lawsuit stemmed from Lively’s December 2024 filing accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment during the production of their romantic drama. Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, countersued in January for $400 million, alleging defamation, extortion, and loss of creative control.However, US District Court Judge Lewis Liman ruled that the director’s defamation claims could not proceed because allegations made in a lawsuit are exempt from libel claims. He also ruled that the director’s claims that Lively stole creative control of the film didn’t count as extortion under California law. Furthermore, Liman found that Wayfarer Studios did not provide sufficient evidence that Lively was contractually obligated to promote the film or approve marketing materials.Baldoni’s legal team can revise the lawsuit if they want to pursue different claims related to whether Lively breached a contract, the judge said.Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, welcomed the ruling and indicated that they would now seek attorneys’ fees and additional damages. “We look forward to the next round,” they said in a joint statement.Meanwhile, a spokesperson for The New York Times, which had reported on the legal dispute, expressed gratitude for the court’s recognition of the press’s role. “The court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism,” said spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander.The case has garnered significant public attention, not only due to the high-profile nature of the parties involved—including Lively’s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds—but also because of the broader conversation around women’s rights in the entertainment industry.
