Judge Ends Justin Baldoni’s $400 Million Lawsuit Against Blake Lively
The long-running legal fight between It Ends With Us co-stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has taken another major turn. A federal judge has officially closed Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times after the actor missed a key court deadline.
Judge Lewis Liman confirmed the dismissal in an order issued at the end of October, saying Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios failed to file an amended complaint by the October 17th deadline and that as a result he would be entering a final judgement to end the case. The judge had previously dismissed the case in June but gave Baldoni a chance to revise and refile it, but Baldoni did not do so.
Only Lively responded to the court’s notice, asking for a final judgment while keeping her request for legal fees open — a motion the judge approved. However, Baldoni still has the right to appeal once the court rules on that request.
The $400 million countersuit stemmed from Lively’s own lawsuit, filed in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, retaliation, and launching a smear campaign against her during the production of It Ends With Us. Baldoni denied the claims and responded by suing Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times for defamation, invasion of privacy, and civil extortion.
In June, Judge Liman ruled that Baldoni’s defamation claims couldn’t stand because statements made in a lawsuit are legally protected. The judge also found no evidence that The New York Times acted with “actual malice” when reporting on the controversy.
Baldoni’s lawyer previously said Lively’s “predictable declaration of victory is false,” insisting that his client had “the facts on our side.” But with the latest ruling, Baldoni’s claims are officially closed — at least for now.
Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni, however, is still active and is expected to go to trial in March 2026. She claims the director “sexually harassed her on set” and hired a PR firm to “destroy” her reputation, allegations Baldoni strongly denies. In another twist to the story, The New York Times has now filed its own lawsuit against Baldoni, seeking damages related to his previous claims against the paper.
Despite the mounting legal setbacks, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman has vowed to keep fighting. “Win, lose or draw, we refuse to cave to power brokers even in the face of seemingly impossible odds,” he said. “We continue to stand tall for a reason: the pursuit of truth, in the face of giants.”
