Federal Judge Dismisses Justin Baldoni’s Defamation Case Against “It Ends With Us” Co-Star Blake Lively and Husband Ryan Reynolds

The director took a blow in his countersuit against his co-star and her husband, who sued him for harassment.

Justin Baldoni has previously been seen as an ally to the #MeToo movement, though he's now embroiled in a harassment lawsuit with co-star Blake Lively.

A federal judge has closed Justin Baldoni’s $400M countersuit against Blake Lively, according to various reports.

On Halloween, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman entered final judgement in the case, essentially ending the countersuit initiated by Baldoni, his company Wayfarer Studios, studio cofounder Steve Sarowitze, studio CEO Jamey Heath, crisis PR specialist Melissa Nathan and publicist Jennifer Abel. 

“On October 17, 2025, the Court issued an order directing the parties to show cause why final judgement should not be entered in this case,” Liman wrote in the order. 

Baldoni and all of the listed plaintiffs had until Oct. 24 to respond to the order to show cause. The plaintiffs were given a narrow window to file an amended complaint, but failed to do so in the allotted time.The plaintiffs do have the right to appeal Judge Liman’s decision.

Judge Liman also ruled that Lively’s statements were legally protected because they were part of a formal proceeding, and not actionable under defamation law.

The director also filed a $250M libel lawsuit against The New York Times due to its coverage of Lively’s alleged treatment on the set of “It Ends With Us.” The suit against the publication was dismissed alongside his countersuit against Lively and Reynolds.

Baldoni’s legal team declined NBC News’ request for comment, while Lively’s legal team didn’t immediately respond to the publication’s request for comment.

The termination of Baldoni’s case comes months after Judge Liman granted a motion for dismissal from Lively’s legal team as Baldoni’s claims of civil extortion, defamation and false light did not hold up in the court of law. 

USA TODAY reached out to The New York Times for comment, and spokesperson Charlie Stadlander referred to a statement previously made in response to Liman’s dismissal of the suit.

“We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting,” the statement read. “Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism. We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.”

The Times is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Wayfarer, citing New York’s anti-SLAPP law. Anti-SLAPP law, adopted by New York in 1992, protects defendants in legal actions “involving public petition and participation.” Generally, anti-SLAPP laws aim to prevent people from using the legal system to intimidate people from exercising their First Amendment rights.

According to The Times’ complaint obtained by PEOPLE, the move is “to recover costs, fees and expenses incurred by the publication in the defense of a defamation action brought by Wayfarer” and the plaintiffs associated with the studio. 

The trial for Lively’s original harassment lawsuit against Baldoni is scheduled in March.