Actor-director Justin Baldoni’s legal action against co-star Blake Lively, her spouse Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist has been halted as a judge terminated the suit, citing Baldoni’s failure to submit amended claims by the deadline. U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman previously dismissed two lawsuits filed by Baldoni in June, following Lively’s legal action against him for sexual harassment and retaliation.
Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios attempted to counter-sue Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist for defamation, seeking $400 million in damages, including projected future earnings. Additionally, Baldoni and other defendants named in Lively’s initial lawsuit sought to sue the New York Times for libel over its coverage of her allegations, alleging a coordinated smear campaign.
Although the court dismissed Baldoni’s defamation-related claims, ruling that lawsuit allegations are not subject to libel claims, Judge Liman allowed Baldoni to revise some claims related to contract interference and refile them by June 23, a course of action indicated by his legal team at the time.
Following this development, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman stated that “the court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations.”
However, in a recent court order dated October 31, Liman disclosed that Baldoni and his co-plaintiffs from Wayfarer Studios missed the deadline. Lively was the only party to respond, requesting final judgment and the continuance of her legal fees request. Baldoni retains the right to appeal the defamation ruling once a decision is made on Lively’s fees recovery.
The actors are scheduled to appear in a New York court in March 2026 for Lively’s original lawsuit, where she accused Baldoni of on-set sexual harassment during the 2024 movie production and alleged libel by him and others associated with “It Ends With Us” in an attempt to tarnish her reputation post her allegations.