Blake Lively wins partial court victory in Justin Baldoni dispute

WASHINGTON: Blake Lively has secured a partial legal win in her dispute with actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni, after a New York judge ruled that Baldoni must pay her legal costs but is not responsible for damages.

US District Judge Lewis Liman issued the ruling in a case tied to the 2024 film It Ends with Us, in which Lively and Baldoni both appeared, while Baldoni also directed the project. The litigation had already been reduced in scope after the parties reached a settlement in May.

The case arose from Lively’s allegations about Baldoni’s conduct during production. She accused him of behaving inappropriately on set, including making remarks about his personal life and trying to change the film to add unscripted sexual scenes. She also alleged that he coordinated a public relations effort intended to harm her reputation after she raised complaints.

Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, had responded with a $400 million defamation and extortion lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds. They alleged that the couple sought to damage Baldoni’s standing and influence the direction of the film. That lawsuit had already been dismissed by the court.

In his latest decision, Judge Liman said Baldoni did not satisfy the legal standard required to overcome privilege protections available under a California law meant to protect people who report harassment from retaliatory defamation claims. The judge, however, also turned down Lively’s bid for punitive damages.

While the court awarded Lively legal fees, no amount was disclosed in the ruling. Court filings also show that both sides have agreed not to challenge the decision on appeal, drawing another stage of the long-running dispute to a close.

It Ends with Us, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, was a box office success despite a mixed critical response. According to Box Office Mojo, the film earned more than $350 million globally.