It appears that Justin Baldoni’s original $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds is over. It’s almost unceremonious because the actor chose to let the deadline for appeals lapse, and the judge inevitably closed the case. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the end for either party.
Justin Baldoni missed the filing deadline in his $400 million lawsuit
Justin’s team were disappointed his lawsuit was dismissed back in June. While it seemed like he may appeal, his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, did say that they would be pursuing other legal options. That may explain why they chose not to appeal the original case.
As for Blake, according to TMZ, the star apparently replied to U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman about the appeal deadline and asked that her request for legal fees remain active. The judge granted this.
Perhaps the reason for the lack of appeal is the reason the judge dismissed the case in the first place. According to the judge, Justin’s lawsuits were dismissed, ruling that the claims lacked “sufficient legal grounds.”
The judge said the team “failed to allege that Lively was responsible for any statement beyond those made in her official complaint to the California Civil Rights Department, which are legally protected and privileged.”
Justin’s further claims against Ryan, Blake’s publicist Leslie Sloan, and the New York Times did not “meet the standard for defamation.” According to the judge, the claims did not show that “those parties seriously doubted the truth of their statements.”
Justin and his team continue to deny any wrongdoing. While his initial lawsuit ends here, Blake’s lawsuit continues and set to go to trial in March 2026. However, it’s possible Justin’s team is simply regrouping to file a more substantial case as opposed to appealing the former one.
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This story originally appeared on Realitytea
