Actor-director Justin Baldoni’s legal action against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist in connection with the movie “It Ends With Us” has been halted by a judge due to Baldoni’s failure to meet the deadline for submitting amended claims. U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman had previously dismissed two lawsuits brought by Baldoni in response to Lively’s sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against him.
Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, sought to counter Lively’s claims with a defamation lawsuit, seeking $400 million in damages. Additionally, Baldoni and other defendants named in Lively’s initial lawsuit attempted to sue the New York Times for libel over its coverage of the allegations, alleging a coordinated smear campaign.
Although the court rejected Baldoni’s defamation claims, Judge Liman granted Baldoni the opportunity to revise certain claims related to contract interference by a specified deadline, which Baldoni’s legal team had indicated they would meet.
However, a subsequent court order revealed that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios had missed the deadline for submitting amended claims and failed to respond to inquiries from the court. Only Lively had responded, requesting final judgment and the retention of her legal fees request.
Baldoni retains the option to challenge the defamation ruling once a decision is made regarding Lively’s fee recovery. Both parties are scheduled to appear in a New York court in March 2026 for the ongoing legal dispute initiated by Lively, who has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during the filming of the 2024 movie and alleged libel by him and others associated with “It Ends With Us” in an attempt to damage her reputation following her accusations.
