- Wednesday, June 25, 2025
A judge has tossed out Justin Baldoni’s explosive $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, and The New York Times, calling it legally insufficient and lacking factual support for defamation claims.
By: Vibhuti Pathak
In a sweeping courtroom decision that brings major relief to some of Hollywood’s biggest names, a federal judge has dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, their longtime publicist Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times.
The countersuit, which alleged defamation and extortion, was thrown out on Monday (9), by Judge Lewis J. Liman, who ruled that the claims lacked the necessary legal foundation.
This dramatic legal chapter stems from Lively’s 2024 complaint alleging harassment and retaliation by Baldoni, which led to widespread media coverage.
Baldoni denied the allegations and retaliated with massive countersuits, arguing the stories and statements made by Lively, Reynolds, and others were defamatory and damaging to his reputation. The judge, however, disagreed.
“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than those in her CRD complaint, which are privileged,” wrote Judge Liman in the opinion filed Monday.
“Reynolds, Sloane, and The New York Times are not liable for defamation unless it can be shown they seriously doubted the truth of their statements, which has not been demonstrated.”
While the defamation and extortion claims have been dismissed in their entirety, the judge did offer Baldoni’s team a small window to amend two of the lesser charges — breach of implied covenant and tortious interference — with a deadline set for June 23.
Baldoni’s legal team has yet to respond publicly to the ruling, but attorneys representing Lively, Reynolds, and the Times were swift in their reactions.
“This is a total victory and a complete vindication,” said Lively’s lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb. “From the beginning, we said this lawsuit was a sham — and the court saw right through it. We are now pursuing attorneys’ fees, treble damages, and punitive damages from the Wayfarer Parties who abused the legal system.”
Leslie Sloane, Lively’s longtime publicist, was also named in the lawsuit. Her attorney, Sigrid McCawley, stated: “Leslie Sloane did nothing wrong. She was maliciously dragged into this litigation. The court’s decision makes it clear she stands fully vindicated.”
The New York Times, which was accused of damaging the reputation of Baldoni’s Wayfarer company, also welcomed the ruling.
“We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was — a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting,” a Times spokesperson said. “Our journalists covered this story carefully and fairly, and the law rightly protects that kind of journalism.”
The legal war between Lively and Baldoni is far from over, however. Although Baldoni’s countersuit has been dismissed, their initial case — including Lively’s sexual harassment allegations — is still active, with both expected to testify during trial proceedings set for March 2026.
Earlier this year, Lively voluntarily dropped two claims against Baldoni — intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress — which her legal team framed as a strategic move to streamline the case.
The case has gripped Hollywood and the media alike, with every new motion drawing scrutiny. While this latest ruling clears the deck of Baldoni’s sweeping countersuit, the emotional and legal stakes remain high as both sides prepare for their day in court.
