American actor and director Justin Baldoni faced a setback in his legal battle with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.
The director of It Ends With Us saw his defamation countersuit against the couple formally dismissed by Judge Lewis Liman after Baldoni’s team failed to file an amended complaint, as reported by The New York Post.
Judge Liman issued a new order indicating that Baldoni and his co-plaintiff, Wayfarer Studios, missed the deadline after their case was dismissed in June. He had previously warned them on October 17 that he was contemplating regarding final decision in their case.
In response, Lively requested the judge to enter a final judgment while keeping her request for legal fees active, which the judge agreed to.
The legal dispute began last December when Lively sued Baldoni, alleging that he sexually harassed her on the set of It Ends With Us and “coordinated an effort to destroy her reputation” after the film’s release. Baldoni subsequently countersued Lively, Reynolds and their publicist for alleged defamation and extortion.
In June, Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni and Wayfarer’s lawsuit, as well as his defamation claim against The New York Times, related to an article published in December 2024 about Lively’s harassment complaint. Baldoni retains the option to appeal Judge Liman’s latest ruling.