Overview
- U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman entered final judgment on Oct. 31 after Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios did not file an amended complaint by the court’s deadline.
- Only Lively responded to the court’s Oct. 17 order to show cause, asking for final judgment and to keep her attorneys’ fees motion active, which the judge granted.
- A June ruling had already tossed Baldoni’s defamation claims, citing litigation and fair-report privileges and California’s survivor-protection law, with limited amendments allowed but never filed.
- Lively’s original lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation remains active in the Southern District of New York with trial set for March 2026.
- Appeal rights are preserved and may be exercised after the fees motion is decided; in a related matter, The New York Times is pursuing damages against Wayfarer tied to earlier litigation.