Celebrity News
Fans React to Judge Dismissing Justin Baldoni’s $400 Million Lawsuit Against Blake Lively
Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds has been tossed out by a judge — and fans aren’t holding back their opinions.
On Monday, June 9, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed the defamation and extortion countersuit filed by Baldoni, 41, and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, against Lively, 37, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, and her publicist, Leslie Sloane. The judge also threw out a separate $250 million claim against The New York Times.
The court of public opinion is divided as fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts on this new ruling.
Some people were happy for the Gossip Girl alum and felt she was finally vindicated.
“If Baldoni’s case had credibility, the judge wouldn’t have tossed it out,” one fan wrote.
“That’s a big win for blake,” a second commented.
Another declared, “Seemed pretty thin from the beginning. Glad it was thrown out.”
However, many came to the Jane the Virgin actor’s defense.
“It doesn’t matter…the world sees blake and Ryan for who they are and they are not supported,” one person wrote. “This is a technicality….Justin will still have support of the people when this is over. #staystrongjustin.”
“Who says money can’t buy you everything,” a second commented.
“Justin Baldoni’s countersuit being dismissed DOES NOT mean Blake Lively is telling the truth,” a third fan noted. “It just shows sexual assault claims—YET TO BE PROVEN—are generally protected.”
In his filing, obtained by People, Judge Liman explained, “The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged.”
“The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct and that the ‘Times’ made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign,” he continued. “But the Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law.”
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According to People, Lively’s legal team said that the ruling was a “total victory and a complete vindication” for the actress.
While Baldoni’s lawyers have yet to make a public statement, they have until Monday, June 23, to file an amendment.
The legal drama between the two stars began in December 2024, when Lively filed a lawsuit alleging that Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of their film It Ends With Us. Baldoni, who also directed the film, denied the allegations and filed a $400 million countersuit in January 2025.
