OMG! This is huge!
Blake Lively seems to have won her legal battle long before anyone ever set foot in a courtroom! Justin Baldoni‘s huge $400 million defamation claims against Blake and hubby Ryan Reynolds have been DISMISSED!
Judge Lewis Liman ruled Monday, per Variety, Blake’s sexual harassment allegations are legally protected — and therefore immune from a retaliatory lawsuit! Whoa!
Blake has been saying all this time that suing a sexual misconduct accuser for defamation could be a tool to keep victims from coming forward. Is that the reason she’s legally protected? Not exactly. It’s the fact she’s suing! Liman found her suit is covered by the litigation privilege. Unlike newspaper headlines or tweets, legal claims are protected from defamation actions. Otherwise every plaintiff accusing anyone of something could be sued in response, right?
Related: Blake Lively Facing ANOTHER Legal Battle About Her Beauty Brand
So what does this mean for Justin??
The It Ends With Us director’s ENTIRE lawsuit has been tossed. He’ll be allowed to refile some parts of his suit, claims that have nothing to do with the sexual harassment — like interference with contracts, etc. But this is a devastating blow to Justin’s legal fight against Blake. And she knows it! Her legal team said in a statement:
“Today’s opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times. As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and 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, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”
They’re going to hit him even harder for suing! Wow.
We’ll have to wait and see if Justin files any small part of his suit again, or if it really is all over. Of course, it won’t be completely finished until Blake’s sexual harassment suit is resolved. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens with that one…
[Image via MEGA/WENN.]
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