A judge on Monday dismissed Hollywood actor Justin Baldoni's USD 400 million defamation lawsuit against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, the couple's publicist Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times.
Blake Lively, who starred opposite Justin Baldoni in It Ends With Us which was also directed by him, broke her silence after the verdict in an emotional Instagram post.
"Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us," she wrote in a post on her Instagram Stories. "While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back," she added.
The actor further said that she is "more resolved than ever" to "stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves". She also shared a list of organisations dedicated to causes including women's rights, domestic violence and employment law.
"With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me," she concluded the post. "Many of you I know. Many of you I don't. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you."
In his lawsuit, Justin Baldoni alleged that Blake Lively "stole" the 2024 film from him and his production company Wayfarer Studios and threatened to "attack" him in the press if her demands were not met. However, according to documents obtained by E! News, Judge Lewis J Liman ruled that the Wayfarer Parties "have not adequately alleged that Lively's threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions".
A report in Variety stated that Judge Lewis J Liman dismissed Justin Baldoni's entire lawsuit -- which also alleged extortion and other claims -- but allowed him to amend and refile a couple of allegations regarding interference with contracts.
"Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times," Blake Lively's lawyers said in a statement.
"As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it. We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation."
The lawsuit by Justin Baldoni was filed in response to a sexual harassment and retaliation case which Blake Lively had filed against him in late 2024.
In her suit, Blake Lively has alleged that he and the producers of It Ends With Us launched a smear campaign against her after she complained about conditions on the set of the film. This high-profile case is set to go to trial on March 9, 2026.
(With inputs from ANI)
