Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds Fight Back: Move to Dismiss Justin Baldoni’s Defamation Lawsuit

The Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni feud just got a new twist. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds told a judge they plan to ask for Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit to be thrown out. Lawyers from both sides will meet in court on Monday for the first hearing in their legal battle.

Lively claims Baldoni, who directed and starred alongside her in ‘It Ends With Us,’ sexually harassed her on set and then tried to ruin her reputation when she spoke out. Baldoni denies the accusations and says Lively misrepresented their conversations. He also claims Lively and Reynolds pressured his talent agency, WME, to drop him, but WME says that’s not true.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ lawyers officially informed the court on Thursday that they plan to ask for Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit to be dismissed, following the judge’s request for a brief statement. The judge will set a deadline later for them to file the full motion.

Publicist Leslie Sloane, also named in the lawsuit, filed a similar notice the day before.

Judge Lewis Liman expects the trial to take place in March 2026 and has asked both sides to submit a plan to meet that timeline. Both legal teams have agreed to combine the two federal cases into one.

At Monday’s hearing, lawyers will argue over Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman. Lively’s team claims Freedman is making unfair public comments that could influence the jury. Freedman insists he has the right to defend his client against Lively’s media statements.

Justin Baldoni’s team wants to question Blake Lively as soon as possible, but her lawyers say she won’t allow Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, to do it. They haven’t given a clear reason why.

Baldoni’s lawyer, Kevin Fritz, argued that Lively doesn’t get to choose which attorney questions her. He said that in a lawsuit, people can’t decide who from the other side handles their case.

Fritz has asked the judge to discuss this issue at Monday’s hearing.