Blake Lively seeks to have Justin Baldoni’s $400M defamation lawsuit dismissed
Global News
Justin Baldoni's lawyers were quick to respond to Blake Lively's attempt to dismiss his lawsuit against her, referring to her actions as 'abhorrent.'
The It Ends With Us legal battle continues as star Blake Lively has asked a judge to dismiss a countersuit filed by her co-star Justin Baldoni, calling his claims “vengeful and rambling,” after she filed a lawsuit against him for sexual harassment and retaliation.
On Thursday, Lively’s lawyers wrote in papers filed in Manhattan federal court that Baldoni and his production company’s claims they were defamed were a “profound abuse of the legal process.”
“The law prohibits weaponizing defamation lawsuits, like this one, to retaliate against individuals who have filed legal claims or have publicly spoken out about sexual harassment and retaliation,” the lawyers said.
“The right to seek legal redress and the right of the press to report on it are sacred principles that are protected by multiple privileges, including the litigation and fair report privileges, which are absolute,” they added.
Lively’s legal team also referred to Baldoni’s lawsuit as part of a “sinister campaign to bury and destroy” her for speaking out about sexual harassment against him.
Her lawyers invoked a California law that protects sexual harassment accusers, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed, in response to defamation lawsuits brought on during the #MeToo movement. Lively’s lawyers said the law entitles her to claim legal fees and damages from Baldoni once his suit is thrown out.
“In other words, in an epic self-own, the Wayfarer Parties have created more liability for themselves by their malicious efforts to sue Ms. Lively ‘into oblivion,’” the motion states.
Lively sought unspecified damages when she sued Baldoni in late December for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation. He countersued for $400 million, accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.
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