What Is the Justin Baldoni Lawsuit?
The Justin Baldoni lawsuit is a federal civil case in which Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, and five other plaintiffs sued actress Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times, not a class action or multidistrict litigation. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed it in June 2025.
Baldoni and his co-plaintiffs filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on January 16, 2025, as case number 25-cv-449. The court treats it as a member case of Lively's own lawsuit, number 24-cv-10049. The seven plaintiffs, called the Wayfarer Parties in the court's opinion, pled nine causes of action in a 224-page Amended Complaint.
People searching for the Justin Baldoni lawsuit sometimes mean Lively's earlier suit against him. That is a separate case, which settled in May 2026 and is compared further down this page.
“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 Case); No. 25-cv-449 (Member Case), Opinion and Order at 2 (S.D.N.Y. June 9, 2025)
Why Was the Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Filed?
The Justin Baldoni lawsuit was filed because Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties alleged that Lively, helped by Reynolds and Sloane, took creative control of It Ends With Us and then spread a false story about them. The court's opinion groups the complaint into those two theories.
On the first theory, the plaintiffs alleged that Lively refused to return to production without her demands, threatened not to promote the film, and threatened to boycott its premiere. They also alleged that Lively and Reynolds threatened to attack Wayfarer in the press. The demands included a November 2023 list of seventeen protections for her return to the set.
On the second theory, the plaintiffs alleged that Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and the Times spread a false narrative that Baldoni committed sexual misconduct and that Wayfarer then ran a smear campaign against her. Baldoni has denied both the misconduct allegations and the smear campaign.
The timing explains why the suit came so quickly. Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department on December 20, 2024, and the Times published its article the next day. Baldoni's side filed its federal complaint on January 16, 2025, after first suing the Times separately.
What Harms Does the Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Allege?
The Justin Baldoni lawsuit alleges five distinct harms, each tied to a separate claim in the Wayfarer Parties' Amended Complaint. The court dismissed every claim in June 2025, so no court has found any of these allegations proved. The defendants contested all of them.
Civil Extortion
Civil extortion is a legal claim, recognized under California law, that someone obtained money, property, or another benefit through wrongful threats.
The Wayfarer Parties pled civil extortion against Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane. They alleged that Lively threatened to withhold promotion of the film and to boycott its premiere unless Wayfarer granted her control over the film and credit for it. The court held that those allegations described, at most, legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions, and that the plaintiffs had not shown damage from some of the alleged threats. The court also noted that New York law does not recognize civil extortion as a cause of action.
Defamation
Defamation is a legal claim that someone published a false statement of fact that injures another person's reputation.
The plaintiffs pled defamation against all five defendants, alleging statements that the Wayfarer Parties engaged in sexual misconduct and then retaliated against Lively with a smear campaign. The court found that the only statements attributed to Lively appeared in her California Civil Rights Department complaint, which it held privileged. For Reynolds, Sloane, and the Times, the court found no allegation that they seriously doubted the truth of their statements, a showing the law requires.
False Light
False light is a privacy claim that publicity placed a person before the public in a misleading way that a reasonable person would find highly offensive.
The false light claim, the third cause of action, named all defendants. The court treated it as essentially duplicative of the defamation claim, so it failed for the same reasons. For the Times specifically, the court applied New York law, which does not recognize the false light tort at all.
Tortious Interference
Tortious interference is a legal claim that someone wrongfully disrupted a contract or business relationship between a person and a third party.
The plaintiffs alleged that Lively and Reynolds interfered with Baldoni's relationship with his talent agency, William Morris Endeavor, by pressing the agency to drop him. The court dismissed the claim, but it allowed the plaintiffs to replead the contract-interference theory because they had not yet described the specific contract. The prospective-relationship versions of the claim failed outright once the defamation claim against Reynolds failed.
Breach of Contract
Breach of contract is a legal claim that one party failed to perform a promise it made in an enforceable agreement.
Two contract theories were pled. Against Lively, the plaintiffs alleged breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in her acting agreement. Against the Times, they alleged promissory fraud and breach of an implied contract, based on a reporter's email about a noon comment deadline on December 21, 2024 and the article's 10:11 a.m. publication that morning. The court called the Times claims meritless and allowed repleading only of the implied covenant theory.
What Is the Current Status of the Justin Baldoni Lawsuit?
The current status of the Justin Baldoni lawsuit is closed in the district court. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed the case in June 2025 and entered final judgment on October 31, 2025. Fee disputes ran into 2026. The coverage reviewed for this page reports no appeal.
Wayfarer Studios LLC v. Lively
The Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, Vision PR, and Times defendants each moved to dismiss the Amended Complaint. The court's 132-page opinion granted all four motions on June 9, 2025 and gave the plaintiffs until June 23, 2025 to replead only the tortious interference and implied covenant claims.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York |
| Case Number | 25-cv-449 (member case of lead case 24-cv-10049) |
| Judge | Lewis J. Liman |
| Filed | January 16, 2025 |
| Plaintiffs | Wayfarer Studios LLC, Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel, Steve Sarowitz |
| Defendants | Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, Vision PR Inc., The New York Times Company |
| Outcome | Dismissed June 9, 2025; final judgment entered October 31, 2025 |
Baldoni's side announced on June 24, 2025 that it would not amend. Judge Liman told the parties on October 17, 2025 that he intended to enter final judgment, and he entered it on October 31, 2025 at Lively's request, keeping her fee claims alive.
Fee Award to Blake Lively
The same court later awarded Lively attorneys' fees for defending the defamation claim. It did so under a California statute that protects people who report sexual harassment, and it limited the award to fees tied to the defamation claim.
| Statute | California Civil Code § 47.1 |
| Requested | About $7.5 million in fees and $539,541 in costs |
| Awarded | $363,245 in fees and $44,206 in costs |
| Paid By | Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios |
| Date | August 26, 2026 |
The judge called the request unreasonable in scope, and the award came to roughly 5% of the amount requested. The court had earlier denied Lively's request for punitive and treble damages under the same statute.
The New York Times' Fee Claim Against Wayfarer
The Times separately sought its legal costs from Wayfarer Studios in a New York state court proceeding under New York's anti-SLAPP law, which penalizes meritless suits aimed at punishing speech on public issues.
| Court | New York state court |
| Brought By | The New York Times Company |
| Basis | New York's anti-SLAPP law |
| Requested | About $181,623 in attorneys' fees |
| Awarded | About $171,616 in attorneys' fees |
| Paid By | Wayfarer Studios (not Baldoni personally) |
| Reported | July 27, 2026 |
A source close to Wayfarer told TMZ that the case was lost on journalistic privilege and not on the facts. No outlet reported an appeal of this order.
Did Justin Baldoni Win His Lawsuit?
No. Justin Baldoni did not win his lawsuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, or The New York Times, because a federal judge dismissed every claim in June 2025 and no court awarded Baldoni or Wayfarer any money.
The $400 million figure that circulated in headlines was the amount the Wayfarer Parties sought, not an amount any court found owed. Baldoni's earlier $250 million libel suit against the Times, filed in California, was likewise a demand and not an award.
Since the dismissal, money has moved in the other direction. The fee awards described in the status section above total about $407,000 owed to Lively and about $172,000 owed to the Times, and the Times award falls on Wayfarer Studios alone. A lawyer reviewing the court orders would be the right person to say whether either award could change.
Lively's own suit against Baldoni settled in May 2026, but that settlement resolved her claims, not his. Nothing in the reporting reviewed shows any settlement of Baldoni's suit, which ended by dismissal.
Latest Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Updates
The latest Justin Baldoni lawsuit updates are all post-judgment fee matters, because the court closed the Wayfarer Parties' case in October 2025. The timeline below lists every verified development in order, newest first, including milestones from Lively's separate case that explain the context.
Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Timeline
Judge Orders Baldoni and Wayfarer to Pay Lively $407,451 in Fees and Costs
Judge Lewis Liman awarded Blake Lively about $363,000 in attorneys' fees and $44,000 in costs from Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios for defending the dismissed defamation claim, far below the roughly $7.5 million in fees she had requested.
Wayfarer Studios Ordered to Pay The New York Times About $171,616 in Fees
A New York state court ordered Wayfarer Studios, not Baldoni personally, to pay The New York Times roughly $171,616 in legal fees from the dismissed libel claim, after the newspaper had sought about $181,623, according to reports published on July 27, 2026.
Lively Settles Her Separate Suit Against Baldoni and Wayfarer
Blake Lively and Wayfarer Studios settled her surviving retaliation and contract claims two weeks before a scheduled May 18 trial, in a distinct case from the Baldoni suit described on this page, and issued a joint statement without announcing financial terms.
Judge Narrows Lively's Separate Case to Three Claims
In Lively's own suit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, Judge Liman dismissed ten of her thirteen claims, leaving breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation for trial.
Court Enters Final Judgment Ending Baldoni's Suit
Judge Liman entered final judgment in the Wayfarer Parties' case on October 31, 2025, after the plaintiffs declined to replead, which formally ended Baldoni's $400 million claims against Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and the Times in district court.
Judge Tells Parties He Intends to Enter Final Judgment
Judge Liman notified both sides that he intended to enter final judgment in the Wayfarer Parties' case, and Lively's team asked him to do so while keeping her request for legal fees active, according to People.
Baldoni's Side Declines to Amend Its Claims
Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, said the plaintiffs would pursue other legal options instead of amending the dismissed claims against Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and the Times.
Judge Dismisses the Wayfarer Parties' $400 Million Lawsuit
In a 132-page opinion, Judge Liman dismissed the Wayfarer Parties' Amended Complaint against Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, Vision PR, and the Times, with leave to replead only the tortious interference and implied covenant claims.
Reynolds and Lively Move to Dismiss the Amended Complaint
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively filed their motions to dismiss the Wayfarer Parties' 224-page Amended Complaint on March 18 and March 20, 2025, following earlier motions from Sloane, Vision PR, and the Times, and Reynolds, Sloane, and Vision PR also asked for fees under New York's anti-SLAPP law.
Baldoni and Wayfarer File Their $400 Million Federal Complaint
Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and five co-plaintiffs filed suit in the Southern District of New York against Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, and the Times alleging extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy, and the earlier California libel suit against the Times was reportedly dropped.
Baldoni Sues The New York Times for $250 Million
Justin Baldoni filed a $250 million libel and false light suit against The New York Times on the same day Blake Lively filed her federal lawsuit against him and Wayfarer Studios.
The New York Times Publishes Its Article on Lively's Allegations
The Times published its article describing Lively's California complaint at 10:11 a.m. Eastern on December 21, 2024, the article that later became the basis of Baldoni's libel claim.
Lively Files a Complaint With the California Civil Rights Department
Blake Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department accusing Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation connected to the filming of It Ends With Us.
What Evidence Did the Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Rely On?
The Justin Baldoni lawsuit relied on the allegations in its 224-page Amended Complaint and on a set of documents the court treated as part of that complaint. Those documents were the Times article, its accompanying video, Lively's California Civil Rights Department complaint, the November 2023 list of seventeen protections, and email between the Times and the Wayfarer Parties.
The plaintiffs also attached a 168-page Exhibit A timeline. The court refused to consider it on the motion to dismiss because it was a narrative summary that did not follow the numbered-paragraph rule, though it declined to strike it from the docket. The judge added that the exhibit's details would not have changed the result.
A dismissal ruling does not weigh proof. The court accepted the plaintiffs' well-pleaded allegations as true for the motion and said its summary of them did not reflect its own findings.
How Did Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times Respond to the Justin Baldoni Lawsuit?
Lively, Reynolds, Sloane, Vision PR, and The New York Times each moved to dismiss the Amended Complaint for failure to state a claim, and the court granted all four motions. Reynolds, Sloane, and Vision PR also sought fees under New York's anti-SLAPP law, and Lively sought fees and damages under California Civil Code § 47.1. The court denied those requests without prejudice to renewal.
Both sides spoke publicly after the ruling. A Times spokesperson said the newspaper was grateful that the court saw the suit as a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting. Lively's spokesperson called the dismissal a total victory. Baldoni's attorney said the ruling had no effect on the truth that there was no harassment and no smear campaign.
| Defendant | Role in the Dispute | Claims Asserted Against Them |
|---|---|---|
| Blake Lively | Actress and co-star of It Ends With Us | Civil extortion, defamation, false light, tortious interference, breach of implied covenant |
| Ryan Reynolds | Lively's husband | Civil extortion, defamation, false light, tortious interference |
| Leslie Sloane and Vision PR Inc. | Lively and Reynolds' publicist and her firm | Civil extortion, defamation, false light |
| The New York Times Company | Publisher of the December 21, 2024 article | Defamation, false light, promissory fraud, breach of implied contract |
Is the Justin Baldoni Lawsuit the Same as the Blake Lively Lawsuit?
No. The Justin Baldoni lawsuit and the Blake Lively lawsuit are legally separate cases before the same judge, and conflating them attributes one side's allegations to the other. Baldoni's suit, described above, was dismissed. Lively's suit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios settled in May 2026.
One other related proceeding also bears Baldoni's name. Stephanie Jones, Baldoni's former publicist, sued him, Wayfarer, and two publicists in New York City on December 24, 2024, alleging breach of contract and defamation, and Baldoni and one publicist countersued in March 2025.
| Case | Plaintiff | Subject | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayfarer Studios v. Lively (this page) | Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios | Civil extortion, defamation, false light | Dismissed June 9, 2025; final judgment October 31, 2025 |
| Lively v. Wayfarer Studios (distinct case) | Blake Lively | Sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract | Narrowed April 2, 2026; settled May 2026 |
| Jones v. Baldoni (distinct case) | Stephanie Jones | Breach of contract, defamation | Reported as continuing in 2026 |
Two other pages on this site cover the same dispute from the other side: the Blake Lively lawsuit and the Blake Lively Justin Baldoni lawsuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Justin Baldoni lawsuit about?
The Justin Baldoni lawsuit is a federal civil case in which Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios accused Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane, and The New York Times of civil extortion and defamation over the fallout from It Ends With Us. A federal judge dismissed it in June 2025.
Is the Justin Baldoni lawsuit a class action?
No. The Justin Baldoni lawsuit is not a class action or multidistrict litigation. It has seven named plaintiffs, called the Wayfarer Parties, and five named defendants, with no class of similarly situated claimants.
Did Justin Baldoni win his lawsuit?
No. Justin Baldoni did not win his lawsuit, because Judge Lewis Liman dismissed it on June 9, 2025 and entered final judgment on October 31, 2025. Baldoni and Wayfarer have since been ordered to pay fees to Lively and the Times.
How much did Justin Baldoni sue for?
Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties sued for about $400 million in their federal complaint, and Baldoni had earlier sued The New York Times for $250 million. No court awarded either amount, and both claims were dismissed.
Did Justin Baldoni appeal the dismissal?
No appeal of the dismissal appears in the coverage reviewed for this page. Baldoni's attorney said on June 24, 2025 that the plaintiffs would not amend and would pursue other legal options, and the court entered final judgment on October 31, 2025.
Is the Justin Baldoni lawsuit the same as the Blake Lively lawsuit?
No. The Justin Baldoni lawsuit is a separate federal case from Blake Lively's own suit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. Baldoni's suit was dismissed in 2025, while Lively's suit settled in May 2026.