Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s court case has been anticipated for quite some time. Starting around the release of their controversial film, It Ends With Us, there were a lot of rumors that the two did not get along on set. While it was all speculation initially, things got out of hand very quickly when the internet started hating on Lively to a concerning level. Her image began to get hurt, and what was an alleged feud became a very public legal altercation.
After going public with their dislike, the two sued each other and spent a big chunk of 2024 dueling online. Making claims about what happened to either of them, fans have been waiting for them to enter the courts finally. Now that it has finally happened, the judge in charge of their case has dropped a bomb that could change everything for both actors.
Blake Lively might be preparing for a comeback
Ever since Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s lawsuits were first announced, the public seemed to have evidently picked one side. Despite her adored relationship with Ryan Reynolds, Lively had a questionable reputation in the industry as being entitled and spoiled.
Adding to this, the mountain of evidence that Baldoni had made public, it was difficult not to look at her in a negative light. With this, it was expected that she would not have a chance of winning the lawsuit, and the court would take Baldoni’s side. However, a new update has been made about the situation, and Judge Lewis Liman, who is handling this case, just dropped a bomb.
Although Lively was the first to sue for s*xual harassment and retaliation, Baldoni followed suit very quickly, countersuing for $400 million for extortion and defamation. Baldoni’s suit didn’t only cover Lively, as it also brought Ryan Reynolds and The New York Times into the altercation, making it all the more public.
Where fans were expecting this conflict to last for quite some time, Judge Liman seems to have taken quite a big step. On Monday, he granted the motions to dismiss filed by Lively and her parties, dismissing a majority of Baldoni’s allegations (via The Washington Post). While there are still some claims that he is allowed to make, the board seems to have been wiped clean for Baldoni.
Blake Lively had a lot of support against Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively has certainly come out of this situation extremely victorious. Although she took many hits when Justin Baldoni initially sued her for $400 million, having the majority of his case dismissed so very easily certainly seems to be a win for her. In fact, the actress took to her Instagram to report this news to her fans herself. In the post, she explained the situation and how the courts had taken her side in a very big way.
However, she then revealed that amicus brief signers had aided her in this conflict, sending support to Lively. Naturally, such documents hold a lot of value in court, and the actress ended up getting 19 organizations to be by her side throughout this conflict, and the list is impressive. The organizations that sided with Lively seemed to be from all kinds of fields, with no specific theme.
Starting off, the California Employment Lawyers Association, the California Women’s Law Center, the Urban Resource Institute, and Elyse Dorsey took her side. Women’s Justice NOW, Women’s Equal Justice, Her Justice, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, and Child USA also signed on. National organizations like the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the National Organization for Women, and the National Organization for Women NYC were also involved.
New York-focused organizations also participate, like the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, the New York Cyber Abuse Task Force, and the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition. Finally, Equal Rights Advocates, Esperanza United, Herunivercity Inc., and Sanctuary for Families were also involved.
With so many by her side, it is difficult to imagine how Baldoni will come out of this unscathed.
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