Why Justin Baldoni Is Dropping One Lawsuit Against Blake Lively

Actor and director Justin Baldoni is dropping his California extortion and defamation lawsuit against actress Blake Lively and has refiled it in New York so that the It Ends With Us co-stars are suing each other on the same coast.

In an amended lawsuit filed in New York on January 31, Baldoni additionally accused Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others of promissory fraud.

Newsweek has contacted representatives for Lively and Baldoni by email for comment on Monday.

Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively Lawsuit
Blake Lively is seen at the press opening night performance of “The Music Man” on February 10, 2022, in New York City. Justin Baldoni attends the “It Ends With Us” New York Premiere at AMC…

Why It Matters

Baldoni, 40, and Lively, 37, are in the midst of a tense legal battle, accusing each other of less-than-glamorous behavior during filming and of trying to ruin each other’s reputations amid the film’s release.

In the now-consolidated cases scheduled to go to trial in March 2026, Lively has accused Baldoni his public relations team, and financiers, of sexual harassment and retaliation.

Baldoni’s $400 million defamation and extortion case targets Lively, Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane. He is also suing The New York Times for $250 million for sharing Lively’s story of what allegedly happened on the set of It Ends With Us, claiming it relied on her “self-serving narrative.”

What To Know

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni, informed the judge Monday in a pre-trial hearing that they intend to dismiss the California case against Lively and pursue the amended complaint filed Friday in New York.

“It makes no sense to be on two coasts,'” Freedman reportedly told the judge, the Inner City Press reported.

Baldoni, Lively, and Reynolds did not attend Monday’s hearing.

The amended lawsuit can is below.

What Happened Between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni?

Lively claims Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-star and director, showed her naked photos of producer Jamey Heath’s wife and would enter her trailer when she was pumping breast milk or changing her clothes. She said Baldoni also engaged in non-scripted kisses and touching.

She also claims Baldoni hired crisis experts to help orchestrate a smear campaign against her after filming.

Baldoni denies any inappropriate behavior and accused Reynolds of approaching his talent agent and suggesting he drop him.

Freedman also released raw footage from filming of the movie, intending to disprove Livley’s allegations of Baldoni’s on-set behavior and to show an exchange where Livley told Baldoni he should get a nose job.

What People Are Saying

Bryan Freedman said in a slide before the raw footage: “The following videos captured on May 23, 2023, clearly refute Ms. Lively’s characterization of his behavior. The scene in question was designed to show the two characters falling in love and longing to be close to one another. Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism.”

Blake Lively’s lawyers in a previous statement to Newsweek“Every moment of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance, and no intimacy coordinator present. Mr. Baldoni was not only Ms. Lively’s co-star, but the director, the head of studio and Ms. Lively’s boss.”

“… No woman should have to take defensive measures to avoid being touched by their employer without their consent. This matter is in active litigation in federal court. Releasing this video to the media, rather than presenting it as evidence in court, is another example of an unethical attempt to manipulate the public.”

What Happens Next

The judge in the case has threatened to move up the March 2026 trial date if both sides continue fighting through the press.