Actor-director Justin Baldoni’s legal action against his co-star Blake Lively from “It Ends With Us,” along with her spouse Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, has been halted by a judge. The judge dismissed the suit as Baldoni failed to submit any revised claims by the deadline. U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman had previously thrown out two lawsuits initiated by Baldoni in response to Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against him last year.
In an attempt to counter Lively’s claims, Baldoni and his production company sought $400 million in damages, alleging defamation and lost future income. They also aimed to sue the New York Times for libel over its coverage of the allegations, asserting a coordinated smear campaign by the newspaper and Lively.
Although the court rejected Baldoni’s defamation-related claims, citing legal immunity for lawsuit allegations, Judge Liman permitted Baldoni to amend some claims regarding contract interference. Despite initial plans by Baldoni’s legal team to amend and refile by June 23, they failed to meet the deadline.
In a recent court order signed on Oct. 31, Judge Liman noted the lapse of Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios’ deadline for filing amended claims and their lack of response to the court’s inquiries. Only Lively responded, pushing for final judgment and maintaining her request for legal fees.
Baldoni retains the option to appeal the defamation ruling once a decision is reached on Lively’s fee recovery. Both parties are scheduled to appear in a New York court in March 2026 for the ongoing legal proceedings stemming from Lively’s initial lawsuit, alleging sexual harassment by Baldoni and others associated with “It Ends With Us,” as well as claims of libel in response to her accusations.