A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by actor Justin Baldoni against his former co-star Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times. Judge Lewis J. Liman of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan delivered the ruling on Monday, marking a significant development in a high-profile legal dispute surrounding the upcoming film “It Ends With Us.”
Baldoni had initiated a $400 million lawsuit in January, alleging that Lively and Reynolds sought to tarnish his reputation by accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliatory behavior during the production of the film, which he both directed and starred in. The lawsuit also included claims against the couple’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, her agency, and later added The New York Times, which Baldoni accused of defamation in connection with a December 21 article detailing Lively’s allegations.
This ruling presents a notable setback for Baldoni in the ongoing legal battle.