Blake Lively Triumphs in Court Battle with Justin Baldoni — But the Fight Isn’t Over

It was a moment of triumph for Blake Lively. On June 9, a judge dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claim against her and others, finding that Blake’s accusations of sexual harassment against her It Ends With Us director and costar, 41, were legally protected and could not be deemed defamatory.

“Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit,” the 37-year-old — who has sued Justin for sexual harassment and alleges he launched a smear campaign against her — wrote in a statement shared in a since-expired Instagram Story, adding that she is “more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman’s right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story.”

The judge left the door open for the Jane the Virgin star to pursue two other claims in the suit.

In a statement to The Daily Mail, his attorney called Blake’s accusations — including that Justin fat-shamed her, overshared about his sex life and entered her trailer when she was breastfeeding — “false,” adding, “With the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms. Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle.” (Her case is due in court March 2026.)

The legal back-and-forth has rocked Hollywood and damaged both Blake and Justin’s reputations — not to mention their bank accounts. Yet a source tells Star neither is prepared to back down. “Some of Justin’s friends would like to see him cut his losses at this point,” says the insider, “but he’s refusing to accept defeat.”

As for Blake, “She’s been through hell and back,” says the insider. “But she feels she’s done the right thing.”