Actor-director Justin Baldoni’s legal action against his co-star Blake Lively, along with her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, has been halted by a judge due to Baldoni’s failure to submit amended claims within the specified deadline. 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 company, Wayfarer Studios, had sought to countersue for defamation, aiming for $400 million in damages, including projected future earnings.
Although Baldoni’s defamation claims were dismissed, the court allowed him the opportunity to amend certain claims related to contract interference by a set date. Despite indicating their intention to do so earlier, Baldoni and his legal team missed the deadline for filing these amended claims. Lively, on the other hand, requested final judgment and maintained her request for legal fees.
Moving forward, Baldoni retains the option to challenge the defamation ruling following the resolution of Lively’s fee recovery. A court appearance for the ongoing legal dispute is scheduled for March 2026, where Lively has accused Baldoni of on-set sexual harassment and alleged libel by him and others associated with their joint project.