In the rollercoaster world of celebrity drama, nothing quite eclipses a $400 million lawsuit that feels more like a plot twist from a telenovela than real life! Blake Lively is stepping into the ring to file a motion to dismiss the rather intense lawsuit filed by fellow actor Justin Baldoni. Just when you thought you had seen it all, here comes Lively, channeling her inner superhero to fight back while, coincidentally, bringing her husband, Ryan Reynolds, into the fray!
Now, this isn’t just any run-of-the-mill legal battle. Lively’s team is claiming that Baldoni’s lawsuit, which follows her allegations of sexual harassment against him, is rooted in revenge—and, get this, they are arguing that makes it downright illegal. Who knew courtroom dramas could have more twists and turns than a soap opera plotline? As the drama unfolds, we’re left wondering: How did we get here, and will justice prevail, or is this just the curious case of Hollywood squabbles gone rogue? Buckle up, because this legal tug-of-war might be just getting started!
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Blake Lively is filing to dismiss the massive lawsuit that Justin Baldoni filed against her.
Just as Ryan Reynolds hit back at Baldoni, his wife is also hoping that the court can nip this $400 million battle in the bud.
However, Lively’s filing takes a different angle than her husband’s.
Her legal team argues that because Baldoni is suing her for revenge, the malicious intention makes the lawsuit illegal.
TMZ reports that on Thursday, March 20, Blake Lively filed a motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit against her.
She notes that Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against her, her husband, and her publicist came after she alleged that he had sexually harassed her during the making of It Ends With Us.
Additionally, Lively’s filing points to the smear campaign that hounded her for months in late 2024 following her reporting his alleged misconduct to the studio.
How does this make his lawsuit (potentially) illegal?
Blake Lively’s legal team points out that California law against retaliatory lawsuits bars Justin Baldoni from, well, filing this kind of retaliatory lawsuit.
It will be up to the court to determine whether this law applies to this particular legal struggle.
Blake Lively’s attorneys say that Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, his company, have “created more liability for themselves.”
According to the legal filing, they have done so “by their malicious efforts to sue Ms. Lively ‘into oblivion.’”
Lively’s team is asking the court to have Baldoni pay her legal fees alongside substantial financial damages for having filed the suit in the first place.
Within the filing, Blake Lively and her attorneys also hit back at Justin Baldoni’s narrative that she and Ryan Reynolds are bullying him using their status as Hollywood A-listers.
The document states that Baldoni, who directed It Ends With Us under the auspices of his company producing the film (in which he also starred opposite Lively), is the bully in this scenario.
Why? Because the lawsuit is “designed to further [Baldoni’s] sinister campaign to ‘bury’ and ‘destroy’ Ms. Lively for speaking out about sexual harassment and retaliation.”
It is unclear whether Blake Lively or Ryan Reynolds’ motions to dismiss against Justin Baldoni will be successful.
The judge will want to take time to review the law itself and case law.
There could also be multiple hearings on the topic, in which both sides will argue whether or not the California law against retaliatory lawsuits applies to this particular retaliatory lawsuit.
It would be nice for many of those involved if this miserable nightmare could come to an end. As things stand, the legal standoff could continue for over a year.