A final judgment was entered in Justin Baldoni's US$400-million defamation and extortion countersuit against It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds after Baldoni missed the deadline to file an amended complaint. On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman signed an order stating that Baldoni, 41, and his production company Wayfarer Studios had let the deadline lapse after the court dismissed the case in June.
Liman said he'd contacted all parties on Oct. 17 to let them know he'd be entering a final judgment to conclude the case.
Lively, 38, was the only one to respond, asking the judge to finalize the dismissal and to keep her request for legal fees open, which the judge agreed to, according to People.
Baldoni may still appeal the dismissal after the court decides Lively's pending motion for legal fees, according to E! News. Story continues below advertisement Liman previously dismissed Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios' lawsuit on June 9, but allowed him and his legal team to amend the complaint to change the "allegations relevant to the claims of tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant."Liman also ruled that Baldoni's claims that Lively stole creative control of the film didn't count as extortion under California law."The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged," Liman wrote in the opinion and order filing. "The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and (publicist Leslie) Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign. 6:38 Justin Baldoni's legal team claps back after Blake Lively's recent court victory Justin Baldoni's legal team claps back after Blake Lively's recent court victory Justin Baldoni's $400 Million countersuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds dismissed by judge Blake Lively drops claims against Justin Baldoni of infliction of emotional distress Justin Baldoni drops Taylor Swift subpoena in Blake Lively legal battle Previous Video Next Video "But the Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law. Story continues below advertisement "The Wayfarer Parties' additional claims also fail. Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety." Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. The judge also dismissed Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, which had reported on Lively's sexual harassment allegations. More on Entertainment More videos The future of AI and music is coming into focus. It does not look good for human artists Kim Kardashian invited to NASA launch after moon landing conspiracy claims Saskatoon celebrates Halloween 2025 with trick-or-treating, donations The Ongoing History of New Music, episode 1061: Medical mysteries of music (6) Palma's Picks: Transformation and growth from struggles Cooking Together: Touk Contemporary Cambodian Saturday Sips: Cocktails for connection this season World Series 2025: Bandwagon grows as Blue Jays inch closer to title Lively's lawyers previously called the dismissal "a total victory and complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times.""As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it. We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation," Lively's lawyers said in a statement. Trending Now CPKC train derails near B.C. community, officials say no danger to water system After World Series loss, what's next for the Toronto Blue Jays? Baldoni's suit was seeking at least $400 million for damages that included lost future income. The lawsuit from Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios, which also named Sloane as a defendant, came about two weeks after Lively sued Baldoni and several others tied to the film, alleging harassment and a co-ordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.
In late March, Lively asked a judge to dismiss Baldoni's countersuit, calling his claims "vengeful and rambling," after she filed the lawsuit against