It’s a legal battle that has gripped the showbiz world, and six months after Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit drama first began, a judge has dismissed the director’s $400million defamation case against the actress. Now a source says Blake is ‘thrilled’ and her team are ‘totally convinced they’ve got it in the bag.’
Blake first filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin, 41, in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and attempting to damage her reputation. Justin hit back by countersuing Blake and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, for defamation – seeking $400m in damages.
Blake’s legal team called the judge’s dismissal of Justin’s case a ‘total victory’ and the 37-year-old actress took to Instagram to say, ‘Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back.’
While Blake’s original lawsuit is still ongoing – with a trial date set for March 2026 – our source says she now has her confidence back and is convinced she’ll triumph in court when the time comes. We’re told, ‘There’s not a shred of doubt in Blake’s mind that she will prevail. She’s been through the wringer – Ryan, too – but it was worth the stress, because it was their reputations, not to mention Blake’s entire career, that were at stake.’
Despite her confidence, it remains to be seen whether the actress can recover from all the allegations that were made public in Justin’s legal filing – and whether she can mend her relationship with former best friend Taylor Swift. We’re told, ‘Blake’s image took a huge hit with all the mud that Justin and his legal team threw at her, she lost her best friend and her home life got so stressful that she and Ryan were both at breaking point.’
Taylor, 35, and Blake have been friends since 2015, but last month the pop star was dragged into Blake’s legal battle after she was subpoenaed by Justin, leading to the possibility of her private messages with Blake being made public if the case went further.
Taylor was said to have been furious and seemed to distance herself from Blake. And, while Justin’s legal team went on to drop the subpoena for Taylor, a spokesperson for Blake slammed them for putting the singer – who they described as ‘a woman who has been an inspiration for tens of millions across the globe’ – at the centre of the case.
They added, Taylor Swift’s celebrity was the original plan in the scenario planning document, and it continues to this day. Faced with having to justify themselves in federal court, they folded. At some point they will run out of distractions from the actual claims of sexual harassment and retaliation they are facing.’
And while it seems the nightmare might nearly be over for Blake, Justin is laying low, preparing for a fightback, with his legal team saying the case is far from over as the judge has allowed them to refile an amended lawsuit. We’re told Blake is determined to see this battle through to the end.
She meant every word when she declared that she considers her crusade as a victory for women. She’s proud to have stood her ground – she won’t let Justin get away with this. Blake is an incredibly ambitious person – she’s always dreamed of being America’s sweetheart and Ryan’s told her for years that’s achievable, because she’s talented, hard working and relatable. The challenge is to get the public back on side, but Blake’s determined to do that and put this nightmare behind her for once and for all.’
