What's Inside?
- Judge Lewis J. Liman ends Justin Baldoni’s $400M countersuit after the director missed the court’s amendment deadline.
- Blake Lively’s lawyers call the court’s ruling “complete vindication,” reaffirming her legal and moral victory in the ongoing case.
- Lively’s original harassment lawsuit against Baldoni remains active, with the highly anticipated trial set for March 2026.
Hollywood’s ongoing courtroom drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has taken a decisive turn — one that spells victory for the “It Ends With Us” star. A U.S. District Court judge has officially ended Baldoni’s massive $400 million defamation countersuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and others after the actor-director failed to amend his complaint before the court’s deadline. The ruling, confirmed by Judge Lewis J. Liman, marks another major blow for Baldoni and a strong reaffirmation of Lively’s earlier legal wins.
Justin Baldoni’s $400 Million Lawsuit Collapses After Missed Deadline
According to court documents obtained by The Post, Judge Liman signed a final order on October 31 confirming that Justin Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios co-plaintiffs had missed their chance to file an amended complaint. The judge had issued a warning on October 17 that he was considering entering a final judgment to close the case. Only Blake Lively responded — she requested that the court formally end the case while keeping her motion for legal fees active, which the judge approved.
The latest ruling officially brings to a close Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit, which was first dismissed back in June. At the time, Judge Liman had allowed the plaintiffs to revise their complaint, but when the deadline passed without action, the dismissal became final.
This setback adds to Baldoni’s growing list of legal defeats. In June, Liman also dismissed the director’s $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, which he had filed over an article detailing Lively’s sexual harassment allegations against him. In both cases, the court found Baldoni’s claims legally insufficient, citing a California law enacted during the #MeToo era that protects statements made in connection with reporting sexual misconduct.
Blake Lively Calls Victory ‘complete vindication’ amid ongoing Legal Fight
The courtroom saga between the former co-stars began last December when Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment during the filming of It Ends With Us. Her lawsuit also alleged that Baldoni had “coordinated effort to destroy her reputation” after the film’s release. Baldoni denied all accusations and fired back with his $400 million countersuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their longtime publicist, Leslie Sloane, accusing them of defamation and extortion — charges they all firmly denied.
After the court’s initial dismissal in June, Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, described the outcome as “complete vindication” for their client. “As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,” they said in a statement. The lawyers also expressed confidence about pursuing “attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages” against Baldoni and others “who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
Lively herself addressed the emotional toll of the ordeal in a heartfelt Instagram message. “Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us,” she wrote. “While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back.”
The actress, who shares four children with Reynolds, reaffirmed her determination to continue standing for women’s rights, adding that she’s “more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman’s right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story.”
Though Justin Baldoni can still appeal the ruling, this development represents a major win for Lively. Her original lawsuit against Baldoni remains active, with the trial currently scheduled for March 2026. As the legal dust settles for now, one thing is clear — Blake Lively’s latest courtroom victory has strengthened her stance both legally and publicly in one of Hollywood’s most intense legal battles in recent memory.
