Justin Baldoni’s Legal Fight With Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Ends As Court Dismisses His Lawsuit
Justin Baldoni's defamation lawsuit gets dismissed following missed court deadline.
The 400 million USD countersuit filed by Justin Baldoni against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times has been dismissed, possibly leading to the conclusion of one of Hollywood’s most publicised legal battles this decade. The decision comes after Baldoni failed to meet a court-mandated deadline to amend his claims, ending his attempt to revive the case. Read on to know more.
Justin Baldoni’s Counter Lawsuit Against Blake Lively Gets Officially Dismissed
Complex reports that Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit was dismissed on October 31 after U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman signed the order. The decision was made because Wayfarer Studios failed to respond to a directive issued by the court seeking justification for why the lawsuit should remain active. When no response was filed, the court entered a final judgment ending the case filed against Blale Lively and Justin Baldoni.
This is the second significant legal defeat for Baldoni. In June 2025, Judge Liman initially threw out the lawsuit, ruling that the statements identified by Baldoni, many of which originally appeared in Blake Lively’s previous s*xual harassment complaint and in stories published by The New York Times, were legally protected.
While the defamation case by Justin Baldoni against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times has been closed, he could still attempt an appeal once the court addresses pending motions, including the request of Blake to recover legal fees.
The legal battle started in January 2025, when Baldoni filed his suit as a “counteraction” after Lively’s December 2024 complaint against him and Wayfarer Studios. She accused her It Ends With Us co-star and director of s*xual harassment and misbehaviour on set. She alleged that Justin Baldoni had acted inappropriately on set, attempting intimate physical contact and pushing for explicit scenes while making comments about her marriage to Ryan Reynolds.
With the dismissal now official, the long-running legal dispute seems largely settled, unless Justin chooses to file an appeal in the coming months.
Also Read: Justin Baldoni’s Ex-Agent Makes Shocking Extortion Claims Against Blake Lively
First Published: November 02, 2025 8:36 PM
