Court Tosses Out Justin Baldoni’s Lawsuit Targeting Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times
On June 9, the court dismissed Justin Baldoni’s major lawsuit involving defamation and extortion claims against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, and The New York Times.
Legal Setback: Judge Drops Baldoni’s $650M Defamation Claim
Judge Lewis J. Liman, in an opinion and order accessed by PEOPLE, stated that the Wayfarer Parties didn’t accuse Blake Lively of making any statements outside her legally protected CRD complaint.
They did, however, allege that Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane made additional remarks about Baldoni’s alleged misconduct, and that the Times accused them of conducting a smear campaign.
He emphasized that the Wayfarer Parties did not allege that Reynolds, Sloane, or The Times knowingly made false statements or had serious doubts about their truth, something required to prove defamation.
He affirmed that none of the Wayfarer Parties’ added allegations were valid, prompting the court to dismiss the amended complaint in full.
Lively’s lawyers Describe the Judge’s Ruling As An Overwhelming Triumph
Describing the outcome as a “total victory,” attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb said the court ruling clears not only Blake Lively but also Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times, who were unfairly targeted in what they called a retaliatory legal move by Justin Baldoni and his company.
“We’ve said it from day one, this ‘$400 million’ suit was a sham, and the Court agreed with us,” the lawyers stated. They now aim to seek legal fees, treble damages, and punitive damages from the Wayfarer Parties for what they call “abusive litigation,” according to People.
Sigrid McCawley, representing Leslie Sloane, issued her own statement saying, “Leslie Sloane has always denied defaming Baldoni or the Wayfarer Parties and was unjustly named in this case as part of an effort to damage her reputation. The court’s ruling clearly shows Sloane did nothing wrong, she has been fully vindicated.”
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