What Is the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni Lawsuit?
The Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit is a pair of federal civil cases over the film It Ends With Us that Judge Lewis J. Liman consolidated in the Southern District of New York, not a class action or multidistrict litigation. One case is Blake Lively's suit against Justin Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios associates, and the other is the Wayfarer Parties' suit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and others.
Lively filed first, on December 31, 2024, as case 24-cv-10049. The Wayfarer Parties filed on January 16, 2025, as case 25-cv-449, and the court joined the two on January 30, 2025 with 24-cv-10049 as the lead case. Each docket kept its own claims and its own outcome.
The court dismissed the Wayfarer Parties' suit on June 9, 2025, and the parties settled Lively's surviving claims in May 2026. Each side denied the other's allegations throughout.
“The Wayfarer Parties’ Amended Complaint contains allegations regarding a dispute between two well-known actors over the making of a Hollywood motion picture. Virtually every fact is hotly contested.”
Source: Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC, No. 24-cv-10049 (lead) and No. 25-cv-449 (member), Opinion and Order at 2 (S.D.N.Y. June 9, 2025)
Why Was the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Filed?
The Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit was filed because Lively alleged that Baldoni and people around Wayfarer Studios engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct during the making of It Ends With Us and then ran a reputational campaign against her after she complained. On December 20, 2024, Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department making those allegations, and she sued in federal court eleven days later.
The Wayfarer Parties filed their own suit because they alleged the opposite story. According to the court's summary of their Amended Complaint, they claimed Lively threatened to stop working on the film and to withhold promotion unless she received control over the film, a producer credit, and the exclusion of Baldoni from the premiere. They also alleged that Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and The New York Times spread a false narrative that Baldoni committed sexual misconduct.
The court did not adopt either account. It wrote that virtually every fact was hotly contested and treated the Wayfarer Parties' allegations as true only for the limited purpose of deciding the motions to dismiss.
What Harms Does the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Allege?
The Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit alleges five principal categories of harm across its two cases. Lively's case pleaded sexual harassment, retaliation, and breach of contract, and the Wayfarer Parties' case pleaded civil extortion and defamation. Both sides denied every allegation made against them, and a federal court dismissed most of these claims before any jury heard them.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a legal claim for unwelcome sexual conduct or comments connected to work that a reasonable person would find hostile or abusive.
Lively alleged sexually inappropriate conduct by Baldoni and others on set, and she pleaded harassment claims under federal law and California law. On April 2, 2026, the court granted judgment to the Wayfarer Parties on these claims, holding that Lively was an independent contractor for purposes of Title VII and that California's harassment statutes did not apply to the conduct alleged. Those grounds concern which laws cover the dispute, not a finding on what happened on set.
Retaliation
Retaliation is a legal claim for punishing a person, for example by damaging their reputation, because they complained about harassment or discrimination.
Lively alleged that Wayfarer, its production company, and hired publicists carried out a press and digital plan meant to destroy her reputation after she raised her concerns. Two of her retaliation theories survived the April 2026 ruling, a California retaliation claim against It Ends With Us Movie LLC and Wayfarer Studios and an aiding-and-abetting claim against The Agency Group PR. Those claims were still unresolved at the time of the May 2026 settlement.
Breach of Contract
Breach of contract is a legal claim that a party failed to perform a promise it made in a binding agreement.
Lively's ninth claim alleged that It Ends With Us Movie LLC breached a document the parties called the Contract Rider Agreement. The court held that this agreement was enforceable and let the claim go forward, while holding a separate earlier agreement unenforceable. The Wayfarer Parties also pleaded contract-based claims of their own against Lively and The New York Times, and the court dismissed or limited those in June 2025.
Civil Extortion
Civil extortion is a legal claim, recognized in limited form under California law, for obtaining money or property through wrongful threats.
Civil extortion was the Wayfarer Parties' first claim, aimed at Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane. The court dismissed it, reasoning that the tort derives from common law, requires actual damages, and cannot rest on conduct that amounts to hard bargaining over a film's creative control. The opinion treated the alleged demands as possibly lawful negotiating positions if Lively owed no obligation to promote the film.
Defamation
Defamation is a legal claim that someone communicated a false statement of fact that injured another person's reputation.
The Wayfarer Parties alleged that Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and The New York Times falsely portrayed them as having committed or tolerated sexual misconduct and as having retaliated against Lively. The court found that these allegations failed to state a defamation claim and held that the Times was not liable. Its analysis discussed California's litigation privilege and fair report privilege, which protect certain statements about legal complaints.
What Is the Current Status of the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni Lawsuit?
The current status of the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit is resolved. The Wayfarer Parties' suit was dismissed in 2025, Lively's surviving claims settled in May 2026, and the court closed the fee dispute in August 2026.
Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC (24-cv-10049)
Lively filed her Second Amended Complaint on July 30, 2025. The Wayfarer Parties then moved for judgment on the pleadings and, separately, for summary judgment, and the court heard oral argument on January 22, 2026.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York |
| Case Number | 24-cv-10049 (lead case) |
| Judge | Lewis J. Liman |
| Filed | December 31, 2024 |
| Defendants | Wayfarer Studios LLC, Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Melissa Nathan, The Agency Group PR LLC, Jennifer Abel |
| Outcome | Judgment for defendants on all but three claims (Apr. 2, 2026); remaining claims settled (May 2026) |
The April 2, 2026 opinion left only Lively's California retaliation claim, her aiding-and-abetting retaliation claim against The Agency Group PR, and her contract rider claim. The caption of Lively's original complaint also listed consultant Jed Wallace and his firm Street Relations Inc., who no longer appear in the April 2026 caption.
Wayfarer Studios LLC v. Lively (25-cv-449)
The Wayfarer Parties first sued Lively and others on January 16, 2025, then filed an Amended Complaint on January 31, 2025 that added The New York Times. The Times had earlier been sued in California, and that suit was dismissed once the Times became a defendant in New York.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York |
| Case Number | 25-cv-449 (member case, consolidated Jan. 30, 2025) |
| Judge | Lewis J. Liman |
| Plaintiffs | Wayfarer Studios LLC, Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Steve Sarowitz, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel |
| Defendants | Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, Vision PR Inc., The New York Times Company |
| Claims | Civil extortion, defamation, false light, breach of contract, tortious interference, promissory fraud |
| Outcome | Motions to dismiss granted (June 9, 2025); fee award to Lively (Aug. 26, 2026) |
Judge Liman allowed the Wayfarer Parties to replead only their tortious interference and implied covenant claims by June 23, 2025. News coverage reported that they declined to amend and that the case formally ended on October 31, 2025, leaving only Lively's request for attorneys' fees open.
Did Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Settle the Lawsuit?
Yes. Lively and the remaining Wayfarer defendants settled her surviving claims in May 2026, about two weeks before a trial scheduled for May 18, and the announcement did not disclose a dollar figure.
Later reporting described the agreement as requiring no payment between Lively and Baldoni, but the full terms are not public, so that account should be treated as unconfirmed. The settlement kept alive Lively's request for attorneys' fees tied to the dismissed Wayfarer suit, and the parties agreed not to appeal the court's ruling on that request.
On June 12, 2026, Judge Liman ruled that Lively could recover reasonable fees and costs for defending the Wayfarer Parties' defamation claims under California Civil Code Section 47.1, a statute that protects people who report sexual harassment from retaliatory defamation claims, but he denied her request for treble and punitive damages in that proceeding.
On August 26, 2026, the court awarded $363,245.40 in attorneys' fees and $44,206.35 in costs, a total of $407,451.75 against the roughly $8 million Lively requested. The judge said the hourly rates were reasonable, called the statute ambiguous, and found that Lively's billing records left no way to determine how many hours were reasonably spent on the defamation defense alone.
Blake Lively Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Updates and Case Status
Here is the current status of the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit, updated with new filings, rulings, and case-count reports as they're confirmed. As of October 2026, Lively's federal case against Wayfarer Studios and Baldoni reached a settlement, described in the timeline below. See the full timeline below for every confirmed development since the litigation began.
Blake Lively Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Timeline
Lively Files a Complaint With the California Civil Rights Department
Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on December 20, 2024, alleging that Justin Baldoni and associates of Wayfarer Studios subjected her to misconduct on the set of It Ends With Us and then launched a press campaign against her in retaliation.
Lively Sues in Federal Court
Blake Lively filed her federal complaint in the Southern District of New York on December 31, 2024, as case 24-cv-10049, pleading sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress against the Wayfarer Parties.
The Wayfarer Parties File Their Own Suit
Wayfarer Studios, Justin Baldoni, and other Wayfarer Parties filed case 25-cv-449 on January 16, 2025 against Lively and others, without naming The New York Times in that first complaint.
Judge Liman Consolidates the Two Cases
Judge Lewis J. Liman consolidated the Wayfarer Parties' case 25-cv-449 into Lively's case 24-cv-10049 on January 30, 2025, after no party objected, making 24-cv-10049 the lead case.
The Wayfarer Parties Add The New York Times as a Defendant
The Wayfarer Parties filed an Amended Complaint on January 31, 2025 that named The New York Times Company as a defendant in the consolidated case, and their earlier California suit against the Times was dismissed afterward.
Court Holds the Initial Pretrial Conference
Judge Liman held the initial pretrial conference in the consolidated Lively and Wayfarer cases on February 3, 2025 and entered a case management plan and scheduling order.
Discovery Is Stayed as to The New York Times
The court stayed discovery as to The New York Times on March 4, 2025 while the Times' motion to dismiss was pending, and it later denied a similar stay request from Leslie Sloane and Vision PR on March 21.
Judge Dismisses the Wayfarer Parties' Claims
In a 132-page opinion dated June 9, 2025, Judge Liman granted the motions of Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, Vision PR, and The New York Times to dismiss the Wayfarer Parties' Amended Complaint, and he gave the Wayfarer Parties until June 23 to replead only two claims.
Lively Files Her Second Amended Complaint
Blake Lively filed her operative Second Amended Complaint in case 24-cv-10049 on July 30, 2025, after earlier amending on February 18, 2025.
Final Judgment Is Reported in the Wayfarer Parties' Case
Fox News reported that the Wayfarer Parties let an October 31, 2025 deadline pass without filing an amended complaint and that the case formally ended that day, leaving Lively's request for attorneys' fees to be decided.
Court Hears Argument on the Dispositive Motions
Judge Liman heard oral argument on January 22, 2026 on the Wayfarer Parties' motion for judgment on the pleadings and motion for summary judgment against Lively's Second Amended Complaint.
Judge Narrows Lively's Case to Three Claims
Judge Liman's April 2, 2026 opinion granted judgment to the Wayfarer Parties on every count in Lively's Second Amended Complaint except her California retaliation claim, her aiding-and-abetting retaliation claim against The Agency Group PR, and her contract rider claim.
Lively and the Wayfarer Defendants Settle Ahead of Trial
Lively and the remaining Wayfarer defendants announced a settlement of her surviving claims on May 4, 2026, roughly two weeks before the scheduled start of trial, in a joint statement that did not disclose financial terms.
Judge Rules Lively Can Recover Fees Under Section 47.1
On June 12, 2026, Judge Liman held that Lively could recover reasonable attorneys' fees and costs for defending the Wayfarer Parties' defamation claims under California Civil Code Section 47.1, while denying her request for treble and punitive damages in that proceeding.
Court Awards Lively $407,451 in Fees and Costs
Judge Liman ordered $363,245.40 in attorneys' fees and $44,206.35 in costs on August 26, 2026, about 5% of the $8.04 million Lively had requested, and both sides had agreed not to appeal the fee determination.
How Did Justin Baldoni Respond to the Blake Lively Allegations?
Justin Baldoni and the other Wayfarer Parties denied Lively's allegations and answered them with their own lawsuit accusing her of extortion and defamation. Both cases were civil, and nothing in the court's opinions reflects a criminal proceeding.
In their Amended Complaint, as summarized by the court, the Wayfarer Parties alleged that Lively used threats to take control of the film and that a false misconduct narrative was spread to the press and to Baldoni's talent agency. The court dismissed those claims on legal grounds in June 2025 and did not decide whose account of events was true.
Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and The New York Times likewise denied wrongdoing and moved to dismiss, and the Times argued its reporting was accurate. The court held that the Times was not liable for defamation on the allegations pleaded.
How Do the Two Blake Lively Justin Baldoni Lawsuits Compare?
The two lawsuits share a judge, a film, and a docket caption, but they are different cases with different plaintiffs, claims, and results. Lively's case sought relief for alleged harassment and retaliation, while the Wayfarer Parties' case, which press coverage put at $400 million in damages, sought relief for alleged extortion and defamation.
Judge Liman consolidated them for pretrial purposes, and each ended differently. The Wayfarer Parties' case was dismissed in 2025, and Lively's case was narrowed in April 2026 and then settled.
| Case | Plaintiffs | Subject | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lively v. Wayfarer Studios (24-cv-10049) | Blake Lively | Sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract | Narrowed April 2, 2026; remainder settled May 2026 |
| Wayfarer Studios v. Lively (25-cv-449) | Wayfarer Studios, Justin Baldoni, and others | Civil extortion, defamation, false light | Dismissed June 9, 2025; fee award to Lively Aug. 26, 2026 |
A separate page on this site, the Blake Lively lawsuit, focuses on Lively's own claims and their summary judgment history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit about?
The Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit is a pair of consolidated federal civil cases over the making and promotion of the film It Ends With Us. Lively alleged sexual harassment and retaliation, and the Wayfarer Parties alleged extortion and defamation, and each side denied the other's claims.
Is the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit a class action?
No. The Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit is not a class action or multidistrict litigation. It consists of two ordinary civil cases, 24-cv-10049 and 25-cv-449, that Judge Liman consolidated on January 30, 2025, and no one else can join either case.
Did Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settle the lawsuit?
Yes, in part. Lively and the remaining Wayfarer defendants settled her surviving claims in May 2026, while the Wayfarer Parties' own suit against Lively had already been dismissed in June 2025, and the settlement terms were not publicly disclosed.
How much did Justin Baldoni have to pay Blake Lively?
The court awarded Lively $407,451.75 in fees and costs on August 26, 2026, for defending the dismissed Wayfarer suit, which was about 5% of what she requested. The amount of any payment in the May 2026 settlement has not been made public.
Why did Judge Liman dismiss Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively?
Judge Liman dismissed the Wayfarer Parties' suit on June 9, 2025 because their civil extortion and defamation allegations failed to state a legally valid claim. He did not decide which side's version of events was accurate.
Can I read the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit documents?
Yes. The June 9, 2025 opinion dismissing the Wayfarer Parties' claims and the April 2, 2026 summary judgment opinion are public court records, and both can be found through the Southern District of New York's website or on CourtListener under case number 24-cv-10049.