Justin Baldoni‘s lawyers responded Thursday to Blake Lively‘s attempt to throw out his defamation suit, arguing that a California law meant to protect harassment victims doesn’t apply to Lively’s “fabricated” claims.
The actor-director filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, his co-star, and her husband Ryan Reynolds in January, arguing that they set out to destroy his career and hijack his movie, “It Ends With Us,” with false allegations of harassment on set.
In a motion to dismiss the suit last month, Lively’s team argued that her allegations — which were first made in a California civil rights complaint that was shared with the New York Times — are protected by litigation privilege.
Lively’s lawyers also invoked the Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act, a 2023 law that protects harassment accusers from retaliatory defamation suits. The law provides immunity from suit and allows a prevailing defendant to claim attorneys’ fees and damages.
In response on Thursday, Baldoni’s lawyers noted that the protection applies only to harassment claims with a “reasonable basis” that are made “without malice.” They argue that Lively in fact made up the allegations, and that therefore the law does not apply.
“Lively fabricated her allegations of sexual...
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