A federal judge in New York has dismissed the explosive $400 million countersuit filed by actor-director Justin Baldoni against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times, marking a major legal victory for Lively and her legal team.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/idrinstitute.png")
The ruling, handed down Monday by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, stems from a legal battle that began in December 2024 following Lively’s complaint to California authorities accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment during the filming of the movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel.
In his decision, Judge Liman rejected Baldoni’s claims of defamation and false light invasion of privacy, particularly those against The New York Times, which had reported on Lively’s allegations.
“The alleged facts indicate that the Times reviewed the available evidence and reported, perhaps in a dramatized manner, what it believed to have happened,” Liman wrote. “The Times had no obvious motive to favor Lively’s version of events.”
The court ruled that Baldoni’s sprawling lawsuit — which accused Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and Vision PR of defamation, extortion, and orchestrating a smear campaign — lacked the substance to proceed. However, the judge allowed Baldoni until June 23 to refile certain aspects of his claims.
Reacting to the ruling, Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, described the dismissal as a “total victory and complete vindication.”
“As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,” they said in a statement. “We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, [producer] Sarowitz, [publicist] Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
“Good Morning America” reports that Baldoni’s legal team has yet to comment on the dismissal.
The legal firestorm began when Lively filed a formal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on December 20, 2024, accusing Baldoni — who also directed It Ends With Us — of inappropriate conduct on set.
In response, Baldoni filed a civil suit on December 31, 2024, targeting The New York Times for libel over its coverage of Lively’s complaint, which included excerpts of alleged text messages between his publicists and the publication. Baldoni claimed those communications were misleadingly edited and stripped of context.
His attorney, Bryan Freedman, alleged at the time that the Times “cowered to the whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites,” referring to Lively and Reynolds.
The Times responded it would “vigorously defend” itself — a defense that has now proved successful in court.
The now-dismissed complaint accused Reynolds of labeling Baldoni a “sexual predator” in a call with Baldoni’s agent, leading to Baldoni being dropped by his representation. Sloane, Lively’s longtime publicist, was accused of deliberately spreading false narratives through the media.
The legal drama took another twist in recent days when DailyMail reporter James Vituscka issued a sworn declaration admitting that his own wording — specifically, the use of the term “sexually assaulted” — was not based on anything Sloane had told him.
“Sloane never told me that Ms. Lively was sexually harassed or sexually assaulted by Justin Baldoni or anyone else,” Vituscka stated. He added that Baldoni’s legal team never consulted him about his phrasing.
Sloane’s lawyer quickly seized on the statement, saying her client had been “fully vindicated.”
Evidence And Trial Proceedings, Pleadings And Damages, Civil Appeals — All In Civil Litigation Serial Volumes 4–6!
4. Evidence and Proceedings at Trial in Civil Litigation — Governing Principles 5. Pleadings, Reliefs and Measures of Damages — with Precedents 6. Civil Appeal at Court of Appeal and Supreme Court — with Precedents "Civil Litigation Serial is designed to be an indispensable reference for lawyers engaged in civil litigation practice," said Basil Momodu Esq., the author of the series. Call 07051822705 to get your copies today! ______________________________________________________________________ Follow the voice of wisdom. Read Prof. Mike Ozekhome SAN. Be Inspired. 
For Enquiries: 📞 +234 704 044 9375 | +234 814 813 4773 | +234 816 872 3532 ✉️ educodexl@gmail.com ______________________________________________________________________ Grab Your Complete Law Reports Now!!! IP, Company, Evidence & Land Cases - All Volumes With Digital Index!!!
To get a copy kindly Call 07044444777, 07044444999, 08181999888, https://alexandernigeria.com/ _____________________________________________________________________
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
