A U.S. District Court judge has dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. The suit, which was filed in federal court in New York, accused Lively of defamation and attempting to seize creative control of the film "This Ends With Us," in which they co-starred. Baldoni alleged that Lively falsely accused him of sexual harassment to manipulate the film's promotion and direction.
The case was extensive, combining Baldoni's claims with a separate lawsuit against The New York Times and Lively's public relations representative, Leslie Sloane. Baldoni contended that Sloane had disseminated false narratives about him and that The New York Times acted as a platform for Lively's allegations.
Judge Lewis Liman's 132-page opinion concluded that Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate their defamation claims or the allegation of extortion against Lively. The judge noted that while Baldoni's concerns about creative control were valid, they did not meet the legal threshold for civil extortion under California law.
Despite the dismissal of Baldoni's countersuit, Lively's separate allegations against him, which include claims of sexual harassment and contract violations, remain active. The court is currently deliberating whether to dismiss her lawsuit or allow it to proceed to trial.
Additionally, the ruling allows Baldoni to potentially renew claims that Lively and Reynolds sought to influence WME, the talent agency representing all three actors, to sever ties with him. Baldoni's legal team claims that Reynolds labeled him a "sexual predator" during an event, which allegedly led to his removal from the agency. A spokesperson for Baldoni did not provide a comment following the ruling.