Overview

• After Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s defamation and extortion claims, he opted not to refile amended counts by the June 23 deadline.
• Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said the actor-director will pursue additional legal options as discovery unfolds in Lively’s December 2024 lawsuit.
• Blake Lively’s original suit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and a smear campaign remains active and is set for trial in March 2026.
• Liman ruled that Lively’s statements to the California Civil Rights Department are privileged and barred them from Baldoni’s defamation claims while permitting limited discovery into her film-related communications.
• Lively’s legal team has filed to block Baldoni from obtaining her private messages with Taylor Swift, calling the demands an irrelevant media tactic.