The long-running legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has taken a major turn, which could open the door to even more behind-the-scenes drama.
According to March 26’s ruling by federal Judge Lewis Liman, Baldoni’s defamation claims can move forward, meaning previously hidden communications and alleged narratives could soon be examined in detail.
Highlights
- A federal judge ruled that Justin Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit against his former publicist could proceed.
- The decision opened the door for the discovery of previously private communications involving Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their high-powered PR teams.
- Baldoni’s team accused his former representation of acting in "bad faith" by selectively leaking messages.
- Tensions intensified as the judge scheduled a status conference for April 2.
As the case inches closer to trial, the dispute between the stars of It Ends With Us has become messy, involving publicists, leaked messages, and competing claims from both sides.
A federal judge has allowed Justin Baldoni’s defamation case to proceed
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Lewis Liman ruled that Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer, can proceed with its defamation lawsuit against his former publicist, Stephanie Jones.
The decision effectively rejected Jones’ attempts to dismiss the case and allowed the claims to be tested through a full evidentiary process.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, told Page Six, saying, “The court rejected Stephanie Jones’ effort to dismiss the case and will allow Wayfarer’s claims, including defamation, to be tested on a full evidentiary record.”
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The ruling is particularly important because it opens the possibility of the discovery of communications involving Jones, Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, and even Lively and Ryan Reynolds themselves.
According to Wayfarer’s representatives, the claims go beyond minor disputes, alleging Jones acted in “bad faith” by feeding harmful narratives and undermining her own client during a critical period.
“We are confident the full record will expose how these narratives were manufactured and why.”
At the center of the case are leaked text messages by Jones that triggered lawsuits
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The lawsuit was triggered after Wayfarer claimed Jones “maliciously” leaked private communications that ultimately contributed to a bombshell New York Times report portraying Baldoni as an alleged s*xual harasser who orchestrated a smear campaign against Lively.
The timeline traced back to 2024, around the release of It Ends With Us. During the period, publicist Jennifer Abel left Jonesworks to start her own firm, and Baldoni also indicated he would part ways with Jones.
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Shortly after, Jones allegedly obtained Abel’s work phone and accessed messages exchanged with crisis publicist Melissa Nathan.
Those messages, some of which included phrases like “We can bury anyone”, became central to Lively’s lawsuit and were later cited as evidence of a coordinated PR attack. Baldoni’s team, however, argued the texts were selectively presented to create a misleading narrative.
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Jones has strongly denied leaking anything unlawfully, maintaining she turned over the messages in compliance with a subpoena issued by Lively’s legal team.
Her lawyer has also pushed back aggressively, accusing Baldoni’s side of spreading “falsehoods” and attempting to deflect from their own alleged misconduct.
The new development came as multiple lawsuits involving Baldoni and Lively have unfolded
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Lively originally filed her complaint in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of s*xual harassment, retaliation, and emotional distress, all of which he has denied.
Baldoni responded with a massive $400 million countersuit accusing Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Leslie Sloane of defamation and extortion, though parts of that case were later dismissed.
Adding to the legal gridlock, Jones has also filed her own lawsuit against Baldoni and his associates, while Baldoni’s team continues to pursue claims against her.
The judge has now scheduled a status conference for April 2, with trial still expected to begin on May 18. A prior six-hour settlement meeting between Baldoni and Lively failed to produce any agreement, signaling that both sides are preparing for a full courtroom battle.
As the trial approaches, tensions between the two sides have only intensified after “document dump” accusations
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Baldoni’s legal team recently accused Lively’s attorneys of overwhelming them with a “document dump,” submitting nearly 1,000 potential exhibits and naming over 40 possible witnesses, per People.
In court filings, Baldoni’s lawyers argued they were being forced to review “voluminous amounts of plainly inadmissible material” under tight deadlines, calling the move impractical for trial preparation.
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Lively’s team, however, dismissed the claim as a delay tactic, arguing the requests for extensions were simply an attempt to stall proceedings.
The judge ultimately granted a one-week extension and approved adjustments to the pretrial schedule, giving Baldoni’s team more time to prepare.
As details continue to surface, online viewers' reactions have been mixed
“Everything I've learned about these two has been against my own will,” one user joked, capturing the sentiment of many who feel the case has become impossible to ignore.
Others leaned into the drama, with one saying, “They should make a movie about the case,” and another adding, “Wonder who will play them in the movie.”
At the same time, some dismissed the situation altogether. “This is such an uninteresting case with no wrongdoing from anyone,” one person wrote, while another added, “I can’t believe people are still caught up in this lol.”
