Justin Baldoni sued Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist for $400 million. A judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying it had no strong legal base. Baldoni had a chance to fix parts of his lawsuit and file again by June 23, as per the report by Daily Mail.
But his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said Baldoni won’t amend the lawsuit. Instead, they will explore new legal options. Freedman also said they are confident Baldoni will win against Lively’s accusations.
Lively’s side fights back
Lively’s team called Baldoni’s lawsuit “frivolous” and a total victory for Blake. They said Baldoni’s team promised to refile, but never did. Lively is still going forward with her own lawsuit and has sent new subpoenas, according to the Daily Mail report.
The court explained why Baldoni’s claims of “civil extortion” didn’t count legally. Lively asking for changes on set or saying she wouldn’t promote the film wasn’t illegal. The judge said Reynolds and Sloane’s statements didn’t show actual malice or lies.
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Baldoni also tried to involve Marvel Studios, saying their character Nicepool was meant to mock him. But the judge threw that out too and protected Marvel’s documents. Baldoni’s lawyers had contacted Kevin Feige and Bob Iger asking for info, as per the Daily Mail report.
How it all started
Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and a smear campaign. Baldoni denied everything, calling the claims false and twisted. Lively said she hopes her lawsuit helps stop retaliation against people who speak up, as per The New York Times report.
Lively named Baldoni, his studio Wayfarer, and others in her lawsuit. Baldoni launched a website named thelawsuitinfo.com, sharing private texts and court info. The site shows his version of what happened behind the scenes of It Ends With Us.
The legal battle began after filming the movie It Ends With Us, where tension grew between them. Lively filed her first civil complaint on Dec 20, then a federal lawsuit on Dec 31.
Fallout for Baldoni
Baldoni got dropped by WME, the same agency that reps Lively and Reynolds. He also got hit with a new lawsuit from a former publicist. Baldoni later sued DailyMail.com for $250 million over an article.
The movie It Ends With Us came out on August 9. It earned $148 million in the U.S. and $350 million around the world. The film starred Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar, and Kevin McKidd.
Blake Lively is best known for Gossip Girl and several popular movies. Justin Baldoni became famous from the show Jane the Virgin and has also directed movies like Five Feet Apart, according to reports.
FAQs
Q1. What happened to Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit?
A judge dismissed the lawsuit, and Baldoni decided not to refile it.
Q2. Why did Blake Lively sue Justin Baldoni?
She accused him of sexual harassment and running a smear campaign against her.
