Blake Lively’s attorney called the judge’s decision to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit a “total victory” for the actress and the rest of her legal team.
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In a statement to PEOPLE, Blake Lively’s lawyer, Mike Gottlieb, spoke out about the latest milestone in the legal battle.
“Today’s opinion 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,” the statement reads. ‘As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it.”
“We look forward to the next round,” he added. “Which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages, and punitive damages against Baldoni, [Steve] Sarowitz, [Melissa] Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
Blake Lively first accused Justin Baldoni of harassing her on the It Ends With Us set. She also claimed that he was part of the smear campaign against her following the film’s theatrical release.
Baldoni responded to the lawsuit by countersuing her, her husband, Reynolds, and her publicist, Sloane, for defamation. The New York Times was also listed in the lawsuit. Baldoni sued the media outlet for $250 million after it published a piece about the alleged harassment. He accused The New York Times of “cherry-picking” the facts. He was seeking an additional $250 million against the media outlet.
The New York Times has stood by the piece.
The Judge Said Justin Baldoni’s Legal Team Can Still Amend Lawsuit Claims Against Blake Lively
Judge Lewis J. Linman granted the motions to dismiss Baldoni’s lawsuit on Monday. However, he stated in his filing on June 9 that Baldoni’s legal team could still amend the claims for breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract if they chose to move forward.
The deadline for the amended claims is June 23.
“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements, other than the statements in her CRD complaint,” the judge stated.
He called Lively’s statements in the CRD complaint “privileged.”
“The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and SLoane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct,” he continued. “And that The Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a small campaign. But the Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane, or The Times would have seriously doubted 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 Wayfarer Parties’ additional claims also fail,” the judge added. “Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety.”