Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are planning to dismiss the defamation lawsuit filed against them by Justin Baldoni. The couple informed a federal judge on January 30 that they intend to move to dismiss the legal action brought by the It Ends With Us director, according to Variety. Attorneys from both sides are scheduled to appear in court on February 3 for the case’s initial hearing as per Variety.
Rumors of a rift between Baldoni and Lively emerged in August 2024 during the promotion of It Ends With Us when the lead actors did not participate in press events together. In December of the same year, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni for sexual harassment. The court documents obtained by Us Weekly revealed that Lively accused Baldoni of launching a campaign to harm her reputation through “social manipulation.” Lively also alleged that she was not the only cast member to raise complaints against Baldoni, who denied all allegations in the lawsuit.
Shortly after Lively filed her lawsuit, Baldoni was among 10 plaintiffs who sued The New York Times for its coverage of the accusations against him. The New York Times stated that it plans to vigorously defend against the lawsuit. In response, Lively filed a similar lawsuit against Baldoni in a New York federal court, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and lost wages. Baldoni’s team refuted all the claims made in the lawsuit.
On January 16, Baldoni’s studio filed a new lawsuit against Lively, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and her husband Reynolds, seeking damages of $400 million. The lawsuit includes allegations of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and other claims. Lively’s legal team described Baldoni’s approach as “desperate” and aimed at turning the victim into the perpetrator, asserting that it will ultimately be unsuccessful.
It’s important to note that these legal proceedings are ongoing and developments may occur as the cases progress.