Court Rejects Justin Baldoni’s Defamation Claims Against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Major Newspaper

A federal court dismissed the defamation lawsuit filed by actor Justin Baldoni against his former co-star Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, along with his separate suit against a major newspaper.

In January, Baldoni initiated a $400 million lawsuit targeting Lively and Reynolds, alleging that they sought to tarnish his reputation by accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation during the production of the film "It Ends With Us." The suit also named their publicist, Leslie Sloane, and her firm as defendants.

The controversy emerged publicly following a December 21, 2024 article reporting on Lively’s allegations. Shortly after, Lively filed a countersuit against Baldoni.

Baldoni responded by suing the newspaper for $250 million in late December, claiming the original report defamed him.