Overview

• The Times filed its complaint on Sept. 30 in New York Supreme Court naming Wayfarer Studios as the sole defendant.
• U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million defamation claims in June, citing legal privileges and a lack of plausibly alleged actual malice.
• The newspaper says its reporting on Blake Lively’s complaint is protected by New York’s fair report privilege and argues the claims lacked any basis in fact or law.
• Wayfarer attorney Bryan Freedman defended pursuing the earlier lawsuits and questioned legal protections for legacy media.
• Blake Lively’s separate sexual-harassment and retaliation case against Baldoni remains active with a trial scheduled for March 2026.