March 21, 2025: Blake Lively has filed a motion in federal court to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against her by actor and director Justin Baldoni. According to E! News, Lively’s motion, which was filed in New York, seeks to terminate Baldoni’s $400 million defamation counterclaim. The motion also emphasizes California’s legal protections for individuals who report sexual misconduct.
The legal battle began two months ago when Baldoni filed a countersuit accusing Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others of civil extortion, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy. Baldoni’s countersuit was in response to Lively’s own lawsuit, in which she had accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation.
Lively’s legal team strongly criticized Baldoni’s countersuit, calling it “vengeful and rambling” and accusing him of abusing the legal process. In their motion to dismiss, Lively’s attorneys argued that Baldoni’s claims should be dismissed under California’s Assembly Bill 933, a 2023 amendment that offers legal protection to individuals who report allegations of sexual misconduct, provided their statements are made without malice. This law, seen as a safeguard following the #MeToo movement, aims to prevent the weaponization of defamation lawsuits against those who speak out about harassment.
Lively’s legal team pointed out that the law prohibits the use of defamation lawsuits to retaliate against individuals who file legal claims or speak out publicly about sexual harassment. They emphasized that both the right to seek legal redress and the freedom of the press to report such issues are protected under legal privileges.
In response, Baldoni’s legal team dismissed the motion, accusing Lively of trying to avoid the consequences of what they called “a self-concocted disaster.” Baldoni’s lawyer promised to hold Lively accountable, claiming her allegations of harassment and retaliation would be proven false through the discovery process. They argued that Lively’s claims would be easily disproven with factual evidence.
The motion to dismiss also raised concerns over the misuse of the legal system for public relations purposes. Lively’s attorneys accused Baldoni’s team of using the lawsuit as a tool to publicly discredit Lively and “bury” her for speaking out about her experiences with sexual harassment in the workplace. A spokesperson for Lively echoed these concerns, stating, “The painful reality is that Ms. Lively is not alone in being sued for defamation after speaking up about being sexually harassed at work.”
Lively’s legal filing notes that if the motion is granted, Baldoni could be required to compensate her for legal fees and damages incurred during the process. Lively’s team described Baldoni’s legal tactics as an “epic self-own,” suggesting that his attempts to “sue Ms. Lively ‘into oblivion'” could ultimately cause more financial and legal consequences for him.
Lively’s spokesperson shared a statement emphasizing that while the actress has suffered as a result of pursuing her legal claims, this case serves as a reminder of the protections available to individuals who speak out about harassment. “It is important for other people to know that they have protections and that there is a specific law that expressly protects them from being silenced or financially ruined by a defamation lawsuit because they had the courage to speak up,” the statement said.
This filing follows a similar motion from Ryan Reynolds, who also sought to be dismissed from Baldoni’s lawsuit, denying the defamation claims against him.