More drama in the seemingly never-ending legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The New York Times is now after some of the action. The publication has filed a lawsuit against Justin’s production company after the director’s $400 million countersuit was dismissed.
The NY Times is seeking damages from Justin Baldoni’s production company
Justin may have recently told paps he’s “doing wonderful“, but he’s probably not too thrilled with this latest development. On Tuesday The New York Times entered the legal drama, filing a lawsuit that adds yet another twist to the saga.
The publication is suing the filmmaker’s production company Wayfarer for the legal fees it encountered while defending itself against allegations of defamation, reports Courthouse News.
The NY Times argues Justin’s claims “had no basis in law or fact”. It stated that under New York’s anti-SLAPP statute, it’s entitled to recover at least $150,000 in legal costs, plus whatever additional damages the court sees fit.
The lawsuit comes after Justin’s countersuit was dismissed by a judge in June. The filmmaker had accused Blake and husband Ryan Reynolds of civil extortion and defamation. He alleged the pair had tried to tarnish his reputation by taking the sexual misconduct claims to the Times. He was looking for damages of $400 million. The judge ultimately concluded that Baldoni and his production company didn’t have a legally valid case.
His countersuit was in response to Blake’s initial lawsuit, which accused him of sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us, along with retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Justin is probably seething that the $400 million payout didn’t pan out. Wayfarer has reportedly suffered the loss of several projects and major financial support due to the dispute. There’s still a way to go until all of this is resolved – legal proceedings stemming from the It Ends With Us drama are scheduled for trial in March 2026.
TELL US – IS THIS THE LONGEST LEGAL DRAMA IN HOLLYWOOD HISTORY?
