A judge dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million complaint against Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds on Monday.
Baldoni was suing Lively for defamation, claiming the actress “falsely” accused him of sexual harassment in an attempt to repair her reputation following the fallout around the “It Ends With Us” press tour after she allegedly took control of the film.
“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged,” Judge Lewis Liman wrote in an opinion and order obtained by Fox News Digital. “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.”
“The Wayfarer Parties’ additional claims also fail,” the judge added. “Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety.”
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In December, Lively detailed allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional affliction of emotional distress, negligence and more against Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath in a complaint first filed with the California Civil Rights department and later in federal court.
Baldoni, in his own lawsuit filed in January, insisted that Lively had “falsely” accused him in an attempt to repair her reputation following the fallout of the movie’s press tour after the actress took control of the film. Baldoni’s legal team claimed that Lively had no evidence of a deliberate smear campaign and had instead worked to repair her reputation by accusing the actor and others of sexual harassment.
BLAKE LIVELY SLAMS JUSTIN BALDONI’S ‘SINISTER CAMPAIGN’ AGAINST HER, DEMANDS LAWSUIT BE DISMISSED
“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,” Lively’s lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, told Fox News Digital 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.”
Fox News Digital reached out for comment from Baldoni’s representatives.
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Lively’s legal team requested Baldoni’s lawsuit be dismissed in March.
“In short, nothing in the FAC [first amended complaint] resembles an actionable legal claim. It is, instead, a blunt public relations instrument designed to further the Wayfarer Parties’ sinister campaign to ‘bury’ and ‘destroy’ Ms. Lively for speaking out about sexual harassment and retaliation,” the motion, obtained by Fox News Digital, read.
“The Court should dismiss the FAC and – as required by California law – hold further proceedings to calculate an appropriate award of Ms. Lively’s attorneys’ fees, treble damages for the harm this meritless lawsuit has inflicted on her, and punitive damages against each of the Wayfarer Parties.”
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Judge Liman gave Baldoni’s legal team a deadline of June 23 to file an amended complaint against Lively. However, the actor is only allowed to amend the allegations relevant to the claims of tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant.
Baldoni and Lively previously indicated they were not willing to settle the legal battle outside the courtroom. In a letter filed in February, legal teams for both Baldoni and Lively noted that “the parties agree that mediation and the Discovery Protocols… are inappropriate for this case.”
