Justin Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, is facing a new lawsuit from The New York Times over legal fees related to a defamation case that was dismissed in June 2025.

The complaint, filed September 30 in New York Supreme Court and obtained by PEOPLE, seeks compensatory and punitive damages under New York’s anti-SLAPP law, which allows recovery of legal costs when a meritless lawsuit is filed to suppress free speech. The Times claims that Baldoni’s company initiated a lawsuit without a substantial basis, resulting in at least $150,000 in legal costs.

Background

Baldoni, 41, had previously filed a $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, as well as a separate lawsuit against The Times. All cases were dismissed by Judge Lewis J. Liman on June 9, 2025.

In the dismissal, Judge Liman noted:

“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law… Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety.”

The Times has consistently defended its coverage of Lively’s December 2024 complaint, which alleged sexual harassment and retaliation against Baldoni during the production of It Ends with Us (2024). The newspaper emphasized that its reporting was “meticulously and responsibly reported.”

Statement from Baldoni’s Attorney

Bryan Freedman, representing Baldoni, released a statement saying:

“Win, lose or draw, we refuse to cave to power brokers even in the face of seemingly impossible odds. We continue to stand tall for a reason: the pursuit of truth, in the face of giants. Our unwillingness to compromise our values reflects a simple conviction that standing up for the truth and what is right matters.”

Freedman has previously criticized Lively’s dismissal of certain claims as “an abhorrent example of abusing our legal system” while defending Baldoni’s right to pursue his countersuit.

Ongoing Litigation

While two of Lively’s claims — intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress — were dropped in June 2025, the overall trial between Baldoni and Lively is scheduled for March 2026, during which both parties are expected to testify.

The Times’ lawsuit against Wayfarer Studios now adds another layer to the ongoing legal saga surrounding Baldoni’s countersuits and public disputes with Lively, Reynolds, and the media.