Actor-director Justin Baldoni’s legal action against his co-star Blake Lively, along with her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, has come to a halt as a judge officially terminated the lawsuit due to Baldoni’s failure to submit amended claims by the specified deadline. U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman had previously dismissed two lawsuits initiated by Baldoni in response to a lawsuit filed against him by Lively, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation.
Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, had attempted to counter-sue Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist for defamation, seeking $400 million in damages, including anticipated future earnings. Additional defendants named in Lively’s original lawsuit, including Baldoni, also sought legal action against the New York Times for libel, claiming a coordinated effort to tarnish their reputations.
Although the court rejected Baldoni’s defamation claims, citing immunity from libel accusations for statements made in a legal filing, Judge Liman did permit Baldoni to revise certain claims related to contract interference and refile by a set deadline, to which his legal team had indicated their intention to comply.
However, a subsequent court order signed on October 31 revealed that Baldoni and his co-plaintiffs failed to meet the revised filing deadline. In response to the court’s inquiries on October 17, only Lively responded, advocating for the final judgment declaration and the retention of her legal fee petition.
Looking ahead, Baldoni retains the option to challenge the defamation ruling once a decision is rendered regarding Lively’s fee recovery. A court appearance is scheduled for March 2026 in New York regarding Lively’s initial lawsuit, in which she accused Baldoni of on-set sexual harassment during the filming of a 2024 movie, as well as alleging libel by him and others associated with the production of It Ends With Us in an attempt to defame her reputation following her disclosures.