Actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni has launched a new legal offensive, filing a motion for a judge to throw out the multi-million dollar sexual harassment lawsuit brought against him by his co-star, Blake Lively.
The Core of the New Motion
In the latest development of the contentious case, which began last year, Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios co-founder, Steve Sarowitz, have submitted legal papers urging the court to dismiss the suit. The central argument from the 41-year-old actor's legal team is that 'no reasonable jury' would find him guilty based on the presented evidence.
The filing specifically targets the colossal financial damages claimed by Lively's attorneys. They had asserted that the negative publicity Baldoni allegedly subjected her to resulted in a staggering loss of $56.2 million in wages. This figure was reportedly calculated from Lively's diverse income streams as an actress, producer, public speaker, and pitch person.
However, Baldoni's team contends that these accusations of lost earnings are not permissible as they 'cannot be calculated with reasonable certainty' and are, in their view, 'merely speculative, possible or imaginary'. The motion explicitly seeks to dismiss claims related to lost profits and royalties, stating Lively lacks standing to assert them.
A Chronology of Accusations and Countersuits
The legal feud ignited in December of last year when Lively formally named Baldoni in a lawsuit. She accused him of sexual harassment, retaliatory conduct, and intentional infliction of emotional stress. Her suit detailed allegations of body-shaming and claimed Baldoni orchestrated a smear campaign to damage her reputation, all of which he has vehemently denied.
The initial legal manoeuvres saw Baldoni file a $400 million lawsuit this past January, which named Lively, her spouse Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist. This suit was thrown out of court in June. All parties involved have consistently denied the allegations made against them.
Recent Legal Wins and the Path to Trial
Shortly before Baldoni's latest motion, Lively secured a significant legal victory. A defamation suit filed against her by a digital strategist linked to Baldoni, Jed Wallace of Street Relations Inc., was dismissed by a court. The dismissal was based on a lack of personal jurisdiction, as the case was filed in New York while Wallace is based in Texas.
A spokesperson for Lively clarified that this ruling was purely about the venue for claims against Wallace and has no impact on her core case against Baldoni and his associates. Her representative stated to TMZ, 'With this decision, all of the retaliatory lawsuits filed against Blake Lively by Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and their crisis communications and digital teams have been dismissed.'
The stage is now set for the main event. A representative for Lively confirmed that 'Ms. Lively will have her day in court on her claims at the March trial in New York.' This indicates that despite the latest motion to dismiss, both sides are preparing for a trial next spring unless a settlement is reached beforehand.
