Judge dismisses Baldoni’s countersuit; legal battle with Lively continues

Justin Baldoni intends to keep going with his legal battle with Blake Lively.

The 41-year-old actor previously launched a $400 million ($661m) countersuit against his It Ends with Us co-star, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane – the couple’s publicist – and the New York Times newspaper, after she accused her former co-star of causing her “severe emotional distress”, but on Monday Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed his lawsuit.

However, his attorney, Bryan Freedman, stressed they still have things to fight for and will be amending their complaint.

He told Us Weekly in a statement: “Ms. Lively and her team’s predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling.

“While the Court dismissed the defamation-related claims, the Court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations.

“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.”

And the lawyer is “confident” Baldoni can still win his court battle.

He added: “Most importantly, Ms. Lively’s own claims are no truer today than they were yesterday, and with the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms. Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking. We are grateful for the organic show of support from the public and for the dedication of the Internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity.”

Following the judge’s ruling, Lively vowed to keep fighting for other women.

She wrote on Instagram: “Last week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organisations united in defending women’s rights to speak up for their safety. Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us.

“While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back.

“I’m more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman’s right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story.

“There are protections out there. Check out some of the incredible organisations below for resources and information.

“With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don’t. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you.“- B (sic)“

Lively’s post featured links to organisations such as the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, New York Cyber Abuse Task Force, Women’s Equal Justice, and Women’s Justice NOW.

Meanwhile, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, the Gossip Girl star’s attorneys, hailed the judge’s ruling as a “complete vindication” for the actress.

They said in a statement obtained by People: “Today’s opinion is a total victory and a 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.”

The attorneys described Baldoni’s countersuit – which was aimed at Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and the New York Times newspaper – as a “sham”.

They continued: “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, [Steve] Sarowitz, [Melissa] Nathan and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”