Blake Lively LOSES Case After Justin Baldoni, Actress’ Lawsuit Against Social Media Strategist DISMISSED

The

long-running legal saga between Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni has taken another turn. On Wednesday, a judge dismissed Lively’s claims against a social media strategist she accused of being part of an online smear campaign against her. The latest ruling narrows her multi-party lawsuit, even as a trial against Baldoni and others looms in March.

Blake Lively's case DISMISSED

According to court filings, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed Lively’s claims against Jed Wallace, a social media strategist based in Austin, Texas, ruling that her attorneys had failed to prove sufficient connection to New York for him to be sued there.Lively has alleged that Baldoni conspired with others - including publicist Melissa Nathan, producer Jamey Heath, and Wallace - to damage her reputation after she raised complaints about sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us. Among the claims, Lively’s legal team accused Wallace of helping Baldoni’s group 'weaponise a digital army' to tarnish her image across Reddit and other online platforms.The judge had previously dismissed the claims against Wallace but allowed Lively’s lawyers to refile with additional evidence. However, Liman ruled that even with the new details, the case failed to meet New York’s jurisdictional standards. Under the state’s 'long-arm' statute, plaintiffs may sue out-of-state defendants if the alleged harm occurred in New York - except in defamation cases, which are exempt in protection of free expression.As a result, the judge concluded that the case could not proceed in New York, though Wallace might still face legal action in Texas.

Justin Baldoni faces setback

Meanwhile, in a related development, the court has officially closed Justin Baldoni’s defamation and extortion case against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times. As reported by Complex, Baldoni 'failed to respond' to an amended complaint filed on October 17 after his case was initially dismissed in June. On October 31, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, had missed their chance to reopen the 400 million dollar lawsuit, effectively ending that chapter of the legal battle.Although the dismissal brings closure to Justin’s claims, he may still appeal once the court decides on Lively’s motion to recover her legal fees. For now, the focus shifts to the upcoming March trial, where Hollywood’s courtroom drama will unfold.