Things were looking up for Justin Baldoni who, last week, had celebrated a minor legal victory against Blake Lively, who had been ordered by the court to withdraw her claims of “emotional distress” against him. But the tides changed on Monday.
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Judge Lewis J. Liman of the New York City federal court dismissed Baldoni’s $400 countersuit against Lively, which he issued in January as a rebuttal to her complaint alleging sexual harassment.
Lively’s lawyers said in a statement that the move is a “total victory and a complete vindication” for their client. “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,” the statement continued.
The actress herself reacted to the latest legal move in her Instagram story. “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," the actress wrote, linking her experience with women’s rights and offering resources for those in need of legal assistance.
Why was Baldoni’s $400 million suit tossed?
In March, Lively filed a motion in a New York federal court to dismiss Baldoni’s defamation suit, citing that the law protects individuals who have filed sexual harassment lawsuits. Calling Baldoni's countersuit "vengeful", the motion states, "The law prohibits weaponizing defamation lawsuits, like this one, to retaliate against individuals who have filed legal claims or have publicly spoken out about sexual harassment and retaliation.”
ALSO READ | Blake Lively files motion seeking to dismiss Justin Baldoni's defamation countersuit
As a result, Judge Liman recognised on Monday that the initial complaint against Baldoni that Lively filed with the California Civil Rights Department,—which alleged that the filmmaker launched a smear campaign against the actress during the premiere of It Ends with Us along with accusations of sexual harassment—was legally protect by law against countersuits.
However, Judge Liman also stated that Baldoni would be allowed to amend some allegations regarding interference with contracts and refile them by June 23.
