US EditionJustin Baldoni Chose Not to Refile Case in Blake Lively Battle, Lawyer Says
The $400 million countersuit alleging defamation and extortion was dismissed with no amended complaint filed, while Blake Lively's sexual harassment lawsuit proceeds to trial in March 2026.
- On Oct. 31, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman formally ended Justin Baldoni’s countersuit after plaintiffs declined to file an amended complaint in the $400 million case.
- The dispute began when Blake Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024 alleging sexual harassment and retaliation, prompting Baldoni to countersue including claims against Ryan Reynolds and Wayfarer Studios.
- Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman said the team declined to amend to preserve appeal rights and noted, `Even something as simple as a procedural update has resulted in a total mischaracterization`.
- Lively was the only party to respond to the judge’s Oct. 17 warning and asked to keep her legal fees request active, which the judge granted; she said on June 9, `Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit`.
- A trial is set for March 2026 in the ongoing lawsuit, and at this time it’s unclear whether Baldoni or Wayfarer will file an appeal though Baldoni says the legal battle isn’t over.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Actor and director Justin Baldoni chose not to file an amended lawsuit in his counterclaim against Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, making it clear that his legal battle is not over yet. Filmmaker's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, told Page Six that his client and his company, Wayfarer Studios, decided not to modify the lawsuit with the aim of preserving their appeal rights. "No deadline was missed. Our clients chose not to modify their clai…
wjr.com
Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer Hits Back After Lawsuit Against Blake Lively Dismissed
Justin Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, has addressed why the actor and filmmaker chose not to amend his $400 million defamation countersuit against Blake Lively, which a federal judge formally closed in late October. In June, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni's lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, which accused them of extortion and defamation. The judge also threw out a related $250 …
Last June, the actor's claims of extortion and defamation were dismissed.
Stage victory for Blake Lively: The slander suit of her «It Ends With Us» co-star is off the table – for the time being.
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