Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds move to dismiss Justin Baldoni's defamation lawsuit

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds seek to dismiss Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit as court battle intensifies.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have notified a federal judge of their intent to seek dismissal of Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit.

Attorneys for both sides are scheduled to appear in court on Monday for the first hearing regarding the legal dispute between the two It Ends With Us co-stars.

Lively has accused Baldoni, who also directed the film, of sexual harassment on set and claims he later retaliated with a smear campaign. Baldoni has denied the allegations and contends that Lively misrepresented their interactions by taking text messages out of context. He further alleges that Lively and Reynolds pressured talent agency WME to drop him as a client, though WME has denied any such influence.

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On Thursday, the couple’s attorney, Michael J. Gottlieb, submitted a brief statement confirming their intent to move for dismissal, complying with Judge Lewis Liman’s procedural order. A similar notice was filed earlier by publicist Leslie Sloane, who is also named in Baldoni’s suit.

Both sides have agreed to consolidate their federal cases into a single proceeding. Monday’s hearing will also address concerns regarding Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman. Lively’s legal team has accused Freedman of making prejudicial public statements, while Freedman asserts his right to defend his client in the media.

Photo: GC Images

Additionally, Baldoni’s attorneys have requested Lively’s deposition at the earliest opportunity. However, Lively’s team has objected to Freedman conducting the deposition due to unspecified concerns. Baldoni’s attorneys argue that litigants do not have the right to dictate which opposing counsel handles depositions, an issue expected to be raised in court.

At the court hearing Monday, the attorneys are scheduled to discuss Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman’s extrajudicial conduct, per Variety.

A New York judge scheduled the trial for March 2026 and rescheduled the mid-February court hearing to Monday.