Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively

A judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by actor and director Justin Baldoni against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively after she sued him for sexual harassment and retaliation.
US District Court Judge Lewis Liman's decision is the latest development in the bitter legal battle surrounding the dark romantic drama that includes Lively suing Baldoni in late December.
Baldoni and production company Wayfarer Studios countersued in January for US$400 million (NZ$660 million), accusing Lively and her husband, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.
The judge ruled that Baldoni can't sue Lively for defamation over claims she made in her lawsuit, because allegations made in a lawsuit are exempt from libel claims. Liman also ruled that Baldoni's claims that Lively stole creative control of the film didn't count as extortion under California law.
Blake Lively appears at the SNL50, left, and Justin Baldoni appears in New York. (Source: Associated Press)
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Baldoni's legal team can revise the lawsuit if they want to pursue different claims related to whether Lively breached a contract, the judge said.
Emails seeking comment were sent to attorneys for Baldoni and Lively.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including new corruption report, California protests, and Justin Baldoni's legal loss. (Source: 1News)
It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling 2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, was released in August, exceeding box office expectations with a US$50 million (NZ$82.5 million) debut. But the movie's release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.
The judge also dismissed Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, which had reported on Lively's sexual harassment allegations.

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