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The legal feud between It Ends With Us co-stars Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively took a new turn this week, after a judge threw out Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. But while Lively and her legal team are celebrating what they call a "total victory," Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, insists the fight is far from over—and he’s accusing Lively of prematurely declaring triumph.
During an appearance on TMZ Live on June 10, 2025, Bryan Freedman dismissed Lively’s celebration as a "false victory tour," arguing that the case was far from settled. He noted that the judge’s decision did not preclude Baldoni’s team from refiling a number of claims, including those for contract interference. He stressed that the dismissal was not a final determination on the merits of the lawsuit but merely a procedural step.
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"I'm really hoping that she doesn't drop her lawsuit, because she's on a false victory tour, and she's afraid of the truth," Freedman said.
A glance into the legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
According to the BBC, the legal battle began in December 2024 when Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, with claims that he s*xually harassed her on the set of It Ends With Us and then smeared her name once she reported his behavior.
Baldoni denied the allegations and filed a countersuit, accusing Lively and Reynolds of trying to extort him by threatening to withhold promotional support for the film unless she was allowed to have more creative control.
The legal drama has since spiraled, drawing in high-profile names like Taylor Swift, who was briefly subpoenaed by Baldoni’s team before the request was withdrawn.
As reported by The Guardian, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman on June 9, 2025, tossed out Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit, which alleged that Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times had plotted to smear him with baseless claims of s*xual harassment and retaliation.
The judge ruled that in her original complaint, Blake Lively’s statements were legally protected, even if they were false and damaging, and could not possibly form the basis of a defamation suit. He also threw out Justin Baldoni’s $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, ruling that the paper acted within its rights in reporting on the dispute.
As per Glamour, Lively’s attorneys called the decision a "total victory." Her lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, called Baldoni’s lawsuit a “sham,” stating that they will seek attorneys’ fees and punitive damages against him.
Blake Lively also took to Instagram to write,
"Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back. I’m 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."
Justin Baldoni's legal team has until June 23 to amend and refile some of their claims. Blake Lively's harassment suit against Justin Baldoni is scheduled to be tried in March 2026.
