Justin Baldoni Counters Blake Lively’s Motion to Dismiss $400M Lawsuit, Denies Harassment Allegations

Baldoni’s legal team claims Lively “fabricated” harassment accusations in a calculated bid for creative control over It Ends With Us, challenging protections under California’s anti-retaliation law.

Los Angeles, April 4:
Actor and director Justin Baldoni is pushing back against Blake Lively’s efforts to dismiss his $400 million defamation lawsuit, claiming that her allegations of harassment on the set of It Ends With Us were “fabricated” and made with malicious intent. Baldoni’s legal team responded on Thursday, arguing that California’s newly introduced Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act does not shield Lively in this case.

In January, Baldoni filed a bombshell lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others, accusing them of orchestrating a “coordinated smear campaign” to damage his reputation and assume creative control over the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel.

Lively’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss in March, citing the 2023 California law that protects individuals who come forward with harassment allegations. They also invoked litigation privilege, asserting her claims were made within a civil rights complaint and thus legally protected.

Baldoni’s lawyers, however, say those protections only apply to claims made without malice and with reasonable factual basis—something they insist Lively’s allegations lack.

“Lively fabricated her allegations of sexual harassment, either wholesale or by exaggerating benign (and not harassing) interactions,” the filing reads, alleging a “malicious effort” to wrest control of the project and repair her public image after recent controversies.

Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman warned of a “dangerous precedent” should the court accept Lively’s motion, arguing it infringes upon Baldoni’s constitutional right to petition the court.

“Ms. Lively and her circle of Hollywood elites cannot prevent my clients from exercising their constitutional right to clear their names from false and harmful claims,” Freedman said. “This must stop here.”

Baldoni’s response also challenges Lively’s timeline, asserting that her accusations were circulated to third parties and the media prior to the official civil complaint — a key point that could potentially void litigation privilege.

Additionally, his legal team cited a 2022 Forbes Women’s Summit interview in which Lively discussed her desire for creative influence in her projects, framing it as evidence of a calculated effort to assume control of It Ends With Us.

“That is exactly what happened on the set,” Baldoni’s filing alleges, referencing Lively’s quote about early industry experiences where she sought “authorship” despite being hired only as an actor.

It Ends With Us was initially expected to be a star vehicle for Lively under Baldoni’s direction, but the lawsuit has since overshadowed its production and release trajectory.

The legal showdown is ongoing, and the court has yet to rule on Lively’s motion to dismiss.