Blake Lively seeks dismissal of Justin Baldoni's ‘vengeful’ lawsuit against her
Blake Lively's legal team argued that she is “firmly protected by each of the litigation, fair report, and sexual harassment privileges.”
Blake Lively is seeking the dismissal of Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against her and Ryan Reynolds. In a motion to dismiss filed in the Southern District of New York court Thursday, the Gossip Girl star argued that the It Ends With Us director has no right to sue her, citing the California state law.
Blake Lively seeks dismissal of Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against her, Ryan Reynolds
“This lawsuit is a profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court,” Lively’s attorneys, Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, said in the filing, according to People. “California law now expressly prohibits suing victims who speak out against sexual harassment or retaliation, whether in a lawsuit or in the press,” it added.
Lively's legal team further argued that she is “firmly protected by each of the litigation, fair report, and sexual harassment privileges,” per NYP. The latter of which “contains a mandatory fee-shifting provision that will require billionaire Steve Sarowitz and Wayfarer Studios to pay damages. In an epic self-own, the Wayfarer Parties’ attempt to sue Ms. Lively ‘into oblivion’ has only created more liability for them—deservedly so, given their actions,” per People.
The Age of Adaline star's filing comes after her husband sought the dismissal of Baldoni's case, arguing that it was based on “hurt feelings.” The Deadpool star also doubled down on his claims that the Jane the Virgin star is a “predator.”
“The entirety of Mr. Baldoni’s case appears to be based on Mr. Reynolds allegedly privately calling Mr. Baldoni a ‘predator,’ but here is the problem, that is not defamation unless they can show that Mr. Reynolds did not believe that statement to be true,” Reynolds' filing reads, per Fox News.
