Judge Formally Ends Justin Baldoni’s $400 Million Defamation Suit Against Blake Lively

A New York federal judge formally ended a $400 million defamation countersuit filed by Justin Baldoni against his “It Ends With Us” co-star, Blake Lively, after failing to amend his claims.

U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman signed a new order on Oct. 31, ending any further litigation after Baldoni, 41, and his co-plaintiffs from his production company, Wayfarer Studios, missed the deadline to file an amended complaint.

The lawsuit against Lively, her husband and actor Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, was dismissed in June. However, Liman gave Baldoni the opportunity to amend claims of unfair treatment and contract interference.

Prior to submitting his final judgment, Liman sent a notice to all parties involved on Oct. 17, questioning if anyone was opposed to the litigation coming to a close.

Lively, 38, was the only one to respond, permitting the judgment to move forward from her end, but saying that her request for legal fees remained active, to which Liman agreed.

The Epoch Times reached out to legal representatives for both Baldoni and Lively for comment.

Speculation of discord between the two followed the movie’s August release, when Baldoni took a back seat on promoting the project and Lively, along with Reynolds, embarked on a press frenzy.

Legal woes between Baldoni and Lively began in December 2024, when the actress filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing her co-star of sexual harassment while on the set of “It Ends With Us.”

Further, the complaint alleged Baldoni orchestrated a public smear campaign to damage her reputation after she came forward with the allegations.

In response, Baldoni, who also directed the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel, vehemently denied the claims and countersued for extortion and defamation.

At the time, he went on to separately file a $250 libel suit against The New York Times, which first reported on the matter, claiming unfair treatment and interference from the publication. It also ended up being dismissed.

At the time, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said “The New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites.”

Meanwhile, Lively’s legal team referred to the judge’s decision as a “total victory and a complete vindication” for the actress before calling the lawsuit a “sham” that the court “saw right through.”

The actors are now due to appear in court in March 2026 for trial on Lively’s original lawsuit.