Baldoni's $400 Million Bid to Sue Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds Reaches Conclusion: Who Won?

The legal drama involving actor-director Justin Baldoni, actress Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds has reached a formal conclusion—at least for now. A federal judge has dismissed Baldoni's high-stakes countersuit, reportedly seeking $400 million (approximately £304 million) in damages for defamation and extortion. The ruling brings closure to a tangled dispute that began with accusations of misconduct on the set of It Ends With Us and spiralled into multiple lawsuits.

What Was The Legal Battle Waged Around Blake Lively

The origins of this case date back to late 2024 when Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliatory behaviour during the production of their film It Ends with Us. Shortly thereafter, Baldoni responded by filing a massive countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist and The New York Times, alleging a coordinated defamation campaign, extortion and other wrongdoing. The complaint demanded $400 million in damages. Though Baldoni denied the harassment claims, the path of the litigation moved quickly toward the countersuit and, ultimately, its dismissal.

How The Courts Resolved The Issues

In June 2025, US District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni's main defamation case. The judge ruled that Lively's statements were legally protected because they were part of a formal proceeding, and thus not actionable under defamation law. Baldoni was granted a narrow opportunity to amend certain contractual interference claims, but failed to do so as per reports. On October 31, 2025, Judge Liman entered a final judgment, formally ending the countersuit after Baldoni and his co-plaintiffs failed to file an amended complaint by the deadline.

What This Means Going Forward

Following the ruling, Lively's lawyers gave a statement saying that it 'is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and the New York Times.'

They added, 'As we have said from day one, this [$400m] lawsuit was a sham, and the court saw right through it. We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni ... and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.'

One Case Ends, Another Looms

Baldoni's attempt to turn the tables legally has essentially failed. Although the door was left ajar for limited contract-based claims, he did not pursue them and the final judgment marks an end to his countersuit. As for Reynolds, who had been named in the countersuit, the dismissal removes the threat of facing that claim. Moreover, the court record now reinforces Lively's position.

Meanwhile, the original harassment suit that Lively filed remains active and is scheduled for trial in March 2026.

Therefore what it basically means is that Baldoni's $400 million countersuit is lost. The motion to dismiss was granted, the deadline to amend was missed, and the case has closed in favour of Lively, and by extension Reynolds. Baldoni has rights to appeal, but as things stand he has not achieved the outcome he was seeking.