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Justin Baldoni's $650 million lawsuit tossed out: Judge sides with Blake Lively and other defendants
Justin Baldoni's legal battle dismissed by judge, ending $650 million lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times.
Justin Baldoni faced a major legal blow as a judge dismissed his countersuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, along with his defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. The court’s decision on June 9 ends the director’s $650 million legal battle, accusing them of extortion and defamation.
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Judge throws out Baldon’s $650 defamation lawsuit
In the opinion and order filing obtained by PEOPLE, Judge Lewis J. Liman stated, “The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged.” It further read, “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.”
He continued in the filing, “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 judge also added, “The Wayfarer Parties’ additional claims also fail. Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety."
Lively’s lawyers call the decision a ‘total victory’
Lively's attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, described the decision a “total victory and a complete vindication” for the Gossip Girl alum and others whom “Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times."
In a statement they said, “As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,” adding that they “look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damage” from the Watferer Parties who they say “perpetrated this abusive litigation, as reported by People.
Lively’s publicist, Slonae’s lawyer, also reelased a separate statement. Sigrid McCawley said in the statement, “"Leslie Sloane has consistently said that she never defamed Baldoni or the Wayfarer Parties and she was wrongfully dragged into this lawsuit because the Wayfarer Parties wanted to actively harm Sloane’s reputation. Today’s decision by the Court makes clear that Sloane did nothing wrong. Sloane stands fully vindicated, and justice has been served."
