Hollywood power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are firing back! They’re moving to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s massive $400 million lawsuit against them.
According to Variety, their legal team officially notified a New York judge on Thursday. A court document revealed their clear stance: “The Lively-Reynolds Parties intend to move to dismiss Plaintiffs’ complaint,” stated attorney Michael J. Gottlieb.
Judge Lewis Liman had previously demanded a simple written notice confirming their intent. Now, he will decide a deadline for the official motion.
Blake’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, isn’t backing down either. Named in the lawsuit, she filed her own dismissal notice just a day earlier.
Meanwhile, tensions are rising as all sides prepare for Monday’s explosive first hearing.
Sexual harassment accusations rock Hollywood
Lively, known for her role in It Ends With Us, first took action on December 20. She filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment on set.
She claimed the Jane the Virgin star retaliated with a vicious smear campaign to ruin her reputation. Baldoni, 41, struck back hard. Earlier this month, he sued Lively, Reynolds, and Sloane for defamation and extortion.
Baldoni hits back—hard
Baldoni didn’t stop there. He also filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times. He claimed their coverage of Lively’s accusations damaged his career.
His lawsuit alleged that Lively rewrote parts of the script and overstepped her role in production. He accused her of making intrusive changes beyond her contract.
But Lively fought back even harder. On December 31, she filed a federal lawsuit against Baldoni in New York. Her allegations? Sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and lost wages.
Scandalous footage leaks!
Baldoni tried to prove his innocence by releasing raw footage from It Ends With Us. But Lively’s team wasn’t buying it. Instead, they called the video “damning” and said it actually supported her claims.
Now, attorneys are gearing up for a fiery courtroom showdown. Monday’s hearing will address Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman. Lively’s team claims his media statements could “taint the jury pool”.
Courtroom countdown begins
The case is officially heading to trial! A New York judge set the date for March 2026. Meanwhile, the mid-February court hearing has been moved up to Monday.
One thing’s clear—Hollywood’s biggest legal battle is just getting started!
