Legal Nightmare: Justin Baldoni's $400M Lawsuit Against Blake Lively Crushed

IT ENDS WITH DRAMA: Justin Baldoni's $400 Million Lawsuit Against Blake Lively DISMISSED, But He Still Has a Few Tricks Up His Sleeve

The drama-filled saga between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively has taken another dramatic turn, with the $400 million lawsuit filed by the actor against the actress being officially dismissed. But don't count out Baldoni just yet - he's still got a few tricks up his sleeve to keep this battle royale going.

According to sources close to the case, Judge Lewis J Liman ruled that Baldoni's defamation and extortion claims against Lively were baseless, citing that all of Lively's allegations were made within privileged court papers. But here's the thing: the judge did give Baldoni a lifeline - he can still file an amended complaint for two of his claims: tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant.

But don't think this means Baldoni is backing down. His lawyer, Bryan Freedman, released a statement exclusively to The Scholarly Note, saying that the judge's ruling was "false" and that they'll be refiling their amended complaint soon. Freedom even went as far as to say that Lively's own claims of sexual harassment are still as false today as they were yesterday.

The Drama That Sparked It All

It all started when Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging that the actor had sexually harassed her on set and orchestrated a retaliatory smear campaign. But Baldoni denied these allegations, countersuing Lively for civil extortion, defamation, and more. The drama has been brewing since before their film It Ends With Us premiered, but it finally all boiled over late last year.

What's Next?

So what happens now that the lawsuit has been dismissed? Well, according to Seth Berenzweig, a business and entertainment attorney who spoke exclusively with The Scholarly Note, this isn't the end of the road for Baldoni. "I believe he'll probably file and keep filing," Berenzweig said. "He's still defending the claims that Lively asserting against him that are going to be going to trial next year."

Berenzweig also noted that while the judge dismissed the defamation and extortion claims, there is still a chance for Baldoni to win on other grounds - namely, his tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant claims.

A Deposition in Sight?

But it looks like Lively may have a problem on her hands. According to sources close to the case, Baldoni's lawyers are planning to depose Lively as part of their ongoing investigation into her claims of sexual harassment.

"We're grateful for the organic show of support from the public and for the dedication of the Internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity," Freedman said in a statement. "We look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking."

Blake's Team Responds

Lively's team responded swiftly to the news, releasing a statement saying that today's ruling was a "total victory" for the actress and a vindication of her claims.

"As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it," they said. "We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation."

Will We See a Settlement?

But don't hold your breath for a settlement just yet. According to Ethan Krasnoo, a Partner at Reavis Page Jump LLP, Baldoni has significantly limited his ability to obtain a settlement advantage given the dismissal of his complaint.

"It is likely that Baldoni will file his remaining claims again to maintain any minimum settlement advantage he may have left," Krasnoo said. "But it's also possible that Lively and her team will try to settle this out of court, especially if they don't want to risk going to trial."

The Reputational Fallout

As the drama continues to unfold, both Baldoni and Lively are suffering from reputational damage. According to Berenzweig, the feud has been "pretty catastrophic" for both parties.

"It's hard to see from a broad business standpoint how any of this litigation makes any sense for anybody other than the lawyers," he said. "And you're talking about defamation claims and harassment - it just doesn't seem to make much sense."

But one thing is clear: this battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively is far from over. Stay tuned for more updates on this drama-filled saga!