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After more than a year of complicated legal disputes, it appears that the war between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has finally come to an end.
U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman recently issued a final ruling explaining that Baldoni missed a deadline to file an amended complaint after his $400 million lawsuit against Lively was dismissed in June.
Judge Liman says he contacted both teams in mid-October to warn them that the deadline was approaching and only Lively’s team responded.
Lively reportedly asked that her request for legal fees remain active, which Liman agreed to.
Liman ruled in June that Baldoni and his co-plaintiffs “have not alleged that Lively is liable for statements other than the statements in his [California Civil Rights Department] complaint, who are privileged” (according to Page six).
The judge also dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit against the New York Times.
The sweeping countersuit was filed in response to Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit.
The two stars clashed on the set of the 2024 film. Finish with uswhich Baldoni also directed.
The title turned out to be wildly ironic, as the conflict between the film’s two leads has continued in the nearly two years since filming wrapped.
Lively publicly accused Baldoni of harassment in December 2024 and filed a lawsuit that same month.
He responded with a countersuit that also named Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, and several members of the actress’ inner circle in its complaint.
In dismissing Baldoni’s lawsuit, Liman explained that the actor and his Wayfarer organization did not provide sufficient explanations for why the defendants’ public statements were illegal.
Liman wrote that Baldoni “alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] “Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct, and the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign.”
“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane or the Times “I would have seriously doubted that these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law,” the judge concluded.
And with that, we are closer than ever to the conclusion of this never-ending drama.
But it’s important to keep in mind that we’re not completely out of the woods.
Lively and Baldoni will go to court in March 2026 to file their harassment lawsuit against him.
If Baldoni had a viable countersuit, then Lively might be inclined to settle out of court. Now, however, it looks like everything will unfold publicly next spring.
