On Monday, June 9, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios’ countersuit against Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, in which he accused them of defamation and extortion. He also dismissed the defamation suit against The New York Times, which reported on Lively’s original complaint against Baldoni (here’s a longer recap of the various allegations between the It Ends With Us costars).
It doesn’t mean that she will necessarily win her suit against Baldoni — he denies all the claims against him and the trial is still set for March 2026 — but it’s gotta feel good to no longer have the spectre of a $400 million lawsuit hanging over your head. On Instagram, Lively released a statement thanking the many organisations that voiced their support for her motion to dismiss his case against her.
“Like so many others, 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. I’m more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman’s right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story,” she wrote.
In a statement, Lively’s lawyers said, “Today’s opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication…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.”
This article originally appeared on GLAMOUR (US).