Justin Baldoni’s $400M Blake Lively Countersuit Dismissed: Legal Expert Explains What’s Next

Justin Baldoni’s legal battle with Blake Lively just took a new turn. On June 9, a federal judge dismissed his $400 million countersuit against his “It Ends With Us” co-star and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, Access Hollywood confirms. Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios sued Lively and Reynolds for defamation in January and sought at least $400 million in damages. According to documents obtained by Access, the judge also dismissed the director’s libel lawsuit against The New York Times in which he accused the paper of working with Lively to smear him. The filing also states that judge Lewis J. Liman did note that Baldoni’s legal team can amend the allegations relevant to the claims of tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant by June 23. “As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,” Lively’s attorney’s Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlied said in part in a statement obtained by Access. Baldoni’s attorney did not immediately respond to Access’ request for comment.