Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively

A federal judge in New York has dismissed actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni’s USD 400 million defamation lawsuit against actress Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and the New York Times (NYT).

Judge Lewis J. Liman granted the motions to dismiss filed by Lively, Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and the NYT. The decision comes in response to a lawsuit Baldoni filed in January, which accused Lively and Reynolds of attempting to sabotage his reputation during the production and promotion of the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us.

Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in the movie, also accused the NYT of relying too heavily on Lively’s allegations without verifying the facts.

In his opinion, Judge Liman stated that the Times’ reporting was protected under the “fair report” privilege, which shields journalists reporting on legal matters from defamation claims. “The alleged facts indicate that the Times reviewed the available evidence and reported, perhaps in a dramatized manner, what it believed to have happened,” the judge wrote. “The Times had no obvious motive to favor Lively’s version of events.”

The ruling allows Baldoni to refile some of his claims by June 23.

Attorneys for Lively hailed the decision as a full vindication. “As we have said from day one, this ‘USD 400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,” said lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb. “We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni.”

The NYT also issued a statement defending its coverage. “We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting,” said spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander. “We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.”

Baldoni’s team has not publicly responded to the ruling.

The legal feud stems from behind-the-scenes turmoil on It Ends With Us, which grossed over USD 350 million globally but was overshadowed by conflict between its stars. In December, Lively filed a formal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. These claims were at the center of a NYT investigation.

Baldoni denied the allegations and quickly countersued, claiming Lively orchestrated a smear campaign. His lawsuit alleged the Times published Lively’s version of events without sufficient fact-checking, and later expanded the case to include the newspaper.

The high-profile legal battle even reached into pop culture, when Baldoni’s lawyers subpoenaed singer Taylor Swift, a close friend of Lively’s, in an attempt to access communications related to the case. That subpoena was later dropped.

Lively has a separate lawsuit pending against Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, with a trial scheduled for March 2026.