Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds has been permanently dismissed after missing a court deadline. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman signed an order October 31st closing the case, noting Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios “failed to respond” to an October 17th deadline to explain why final judgment shouldn’t be entered. The court initially dismissed Baldoni’s complaint in June, ruling his defamation claims lacked merit and were protected under litigation privileges. Baldoni filed the suit in January 2025 as a “counterattack” after Lively sued him in December 2024 for sexual harassment during the production of their movie It Ends With Us. Lively’s initial harassment lawsuit against Baldoni continues in Manhattan federal court. (Story URL)
