Justin Baldoni's lawyer calls Blake Lively's declaration of victory 'false' after director's lawsuit is dismissed
Bryan Freedman, the lawyer of Justin Baldoni, called Blake Lively's victory "false" following the dismissal of the It Ends With Us director's $400 million (P22 billion) countersuit against the actress and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Freedman said that Lively's claims are "no truer today than they were yesterday."
"This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign, which Ms. Lively's own team conveniently describes as 'untraceable' because they cannot prove what never happened," the lawyer said.
Freedman added that he looks forward to the forthcoming deposition.
The statement came after a day US District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan dismissed the cases brought by Baldoni, which involved a countersuit accusing Lively, Reynolds and their publicist of extortion and defamation and a $250 million (P13.9 billion) libel lawsuit against The New York Times over its December 21, 2024 article titled "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine."
According to Liman, Lively's statements to a California state agency regarding Baldoni's alleged harassment during filming were protected and could not be used as the basis for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios' defamation claim.
"Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively," her lawyers Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson said in a joint statement at that time. "As we have said from day one, this $400 million lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it."
"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," Charlie Stadtlander, a New York Times spokesman, also said in a statement.
However, the judge stated that Baldoni may pursue a more limited lawsuit against Lively based on contractual matters, with a deadline of June 23.
Following the dismissal, Lively opened up on her now-expired Instagram story, highlighting the "pain" she felt caused by Baldoni's countersuit and that she's now "more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right."
The actress still seeks unspecified triple and punitive damages, and a March 2026 trial remains scheduled.
