Huge amount Justin Baldoni set to owe Blake Lively as $400m lawsuit is dismissed

Justin Baldoni better have deep pockets, as he might have to pay Blake Lively millions of dollars now that his lawsuit has been dismissed.

The actor's $400 million legal claim against his It Ends With Us co-star, her husband Ryan Reynolds and the New York Times was officially thrown out of court on Friday (31 October).

Judge Lewis J Liman first handed the ruling down in June, explaining that Baldoni's allegations of extortion and defamation didn’t exactly stand up to scrutiny.

Baldoni had claimed that Lively and Reynolds took measures to gain control of the 2024 movie before they made a 'duplicitous attempt to destroy' him with a damning New York Times article.

The 41-year-old film director and his media company Wayfarer Studios had until 17 October to appeal against the judge's decision, but this date came and went without him taking any action.

As a result of him missing the deadline, Judge Liman signed a new order on Halloween, which ruled that the final judgment on this matter has now been made.

It means that Baldoni's lawsuit - alleging that he had been a victim of extortion and defamation at the hands of Lively and Reynolds - as well as his $250 million (£184 million) defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, have both now reached the end of the road.

Lively and Reynolds have scored a legal victory after Baldoni missed the deadline to appeal the judge's decision (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Baldoni filed his countersuit in January this year, a month after Lively filed a suit against Wayfarer Studios, alleging she was sexually harassed on the set of the film based on Colleen Hoover's popular book, It Ends With Us.

The legal team representing the Gossip Girl actress previously described his legal claim as a 'sham' and 'retaliatory', saying after it was dismissed in June: " The court saw right through it.

"We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, [Steve] Sarowitz, [Melissa] Nathan and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation," Lively's lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb said.

As they mentioned, Lively wants her former co-star to cough up the money she has spent on defending herself against his claims, which have now been tossed out of court.

In September, her lawyers filed a motion arguing that she should be awarded millions to compensate her for the costs of her legal fees, on top of damages for economic, emotional and psychological harm.

Lively's attorneys also suggested that he should be billed for punitive damages for abuse of the court system, according to Variety.

The It Ends With Us co-stars messy fallout has played out in public over the last year (Wayfarer Studios)

To support her argument, the actress is relying on the Protecting Survivors from Weaponised Defamation Lawsuits Act, also known as AB 933, which was signed into California law in 2023.

The mother-of-four's motion explained that this legislation 'ensures that individuals who experience sexual harassment or retaliation are able to share their experiences with courts, agencies, the press, and others, without fear of being sued for doing so'.

Judge Liman has not yet ruled whether the law applies in this case, although Baldoni's legal team insist it does not.

In a filing earlier this year, his attorneys said: "Lively fabricated her allegations of sexual harassment, either wholesale or by exaggerating benign (and not harassing) interactions in a concerted, malicious effort to seize control of the film and later to restore her reputation after a well-publicised series of marketing missteps that sullied her reputation."

Lively wants the judge to make an order for Baldoni to pay her damages, which could be followed by a hearing to determine the exact figure.

Baldoni might have to stump up millions now his lawsuit has officially been dismissed (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Lively told Variety last month: "Sadly, Ms Lively is not alone in facing a retaliatory defamation suit after speaking out about harassment at work.

"That is precisely why California enacted AB 933: to make clear that survivors are protected when they speak up, and that those who weaponise the legal system to silence them will be held accountable, not just for attorneys’ fees, but for treble damages and punitive damages as well."

Although Baldoni's lawsuit has been thrown out, it doesn't mean the court battle between the It Ends With Us co-stars is completely over.

He retains the right to appeal the judge's decision on his extortion and defamation suit in a higher court. The star could act on this after a ruling is made on whether Lively can claim her legal fees from him.

Lively's lawsuit accusing the Jane The Virgin actor of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign also remains ongoing and is set to be heard by a federal judge in New York next spring.

LADbible has contacted Lively and Baldoni's representatives for comment.