Overview
- On Nov. 13, Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and co-defendants filed a 73-page motion in Manhattan federal court asking Judge Lewis J. Liman to dismiss Blake Lively’s claims before the March 2026 trial.
- The filing argues that, even accepting her account, no reasonable juror could find sexual harassment or an adverse employment action, characterizing the clash as a reputational dispute.
- Exhibits include a deleted It Ends With Us scene the defense says shows Lively initiating an unscripted kiss and private texts in which Baldoni recounts a tense January 2024 meeting with Ryan Reynolds.
- A separate Texas defamation suit brought by publicist Jed Wallace and Street Relations against Lively was thrown out for lack of personal jurisdiction, and Wallace’s lawyer says he may appeal.
- Unsealed records show Lively is seeking about $161.2 million in damages; earlier Baldoni defamation actions, including a $400 million countersuit and a $250 million case against the New York Times, were dismissed, with trial currently set for March 2026.