Why Ryan Reynolds Is Praising Blake Lively's "Profound" Strength

After Blake Lively hinted at her It Ends With Us legal drama during her TIME100 Gala speech April 24, her husband Ryan Reynolds expressed he is “in awe of my wife in many ways.”

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Watch : Blake Lively Hints at ‘It Ends With Us’ Legal Drama, Pays Tribute to Mom at TIME100

Ryan Reynolds is dead serious about supporting Blake Lively.

The day after the Another Simple Favor actress alluded to her ongoing legal battle with her It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni during the TIME100 Gala, the Deadpool star gushed over Blake’s resilience.

"I'm incredibly in awe of my wife in many ways," Ryan told People in an interview published April 25. "I don't know that I've met somebody stronger."

He continued, "And her coping mechanisms are just coffee, which is amazing to me because I don't know how I could hold what she holds and do it with [her] grace and strength. It's pretty profound."

Back in late December, Blake filed a lawsuit against Justin and his Wayfarer Studios, which produced It Ends With Us, for sexual harassment and retaliation, with the Jane the Virgin alum denying allegations and subsequently filing a defamation suit against Blake, Ryan, her publicist Leslie Sloane as well as The New York Times for its coverage of the initial complaint. (All parties have denied wrongdoing.) 

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TIME100 Gala: See Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' Red Carpet Date Night Amid Legal Battle

While being honored the night before at the TIME100 Gala, Blake hinted at the toll that the It Ends With Us legal drama has taken on her.

"I have so much to say about the last two years of my life,” the Gossip Girl alum said during her speech, per footage shared by Variety, “but tonight is not the forum."

The 37-year-old—who attended the gala with Ryan and her mom Elaine Lively—also noted that being honored as an “influential” person is a “significant responsibility.”

"How we use that matters," Blake continued. "Who and what we stand up for, and what we stay silent about, what we monetize versus what we actually live, matters."

And if Ryan believes the Age of Adaline actress to have “profound” grace and strength, Blake is quick to credit her mom, who she said survived a work acquaintance’s attempt to “take her life when she was the mother of three young kids years before I was born,” as the source of that strength. 

Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

"I know the superpower of female triumph," Blake said. "I have touched it, shaken hands with it. I’m looking at it in this room here right now. These are the happy endings we must see as women and girls.”

She added, “We can make it to the end alive, physically or emotionally, and we will and we do, and we thrive. Even when it doesn’t feel possible. Even when we are in sharp pain. Never underestimate a woman’s ability to endure pain."

For a deep dive into the It Ends With Us legal battle between Blake and Justin, keep reading… 

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Dec. 20, 2024: Blake Lively Files CRD Complaint Against Justin Baldoni and His Wayfarer Associates

Four months after the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's book It Ends With Us debuted in theaters, Blake Lively filed a California Civil Rights Department (CRD) complaint against her costar Justin Baldoni and his associates on Dec. 20, according to The New York Times.

In the complaint obtained by E! News, Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios (Wayfarer), its CEO Jamey Heath, its cofounder Steve Sarowitz, Baldoni's publicist Jennifer Abel, her company RWA Communications, crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, her company The Agency Group PR LLC (TAG), contractor Jed Wallace and his company Street Relations Inc. were listed as defendants.

Lively alleged in her complaint that Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates "embarked on a sophisticated press and digital plan in retaliation" for her voicing her concerns about purported misconduct on set—with her saying she and other cast and crew members "experienced invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behavior" by Baldoni and Heath.

The actress added the alleged campaign against her caused "substantial harm" to her personally and professionally. 

The accusations listed in the complaint include sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent and/or remedy harassment; aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation; breach of contract; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; false light invasion of privacy and interference with prospective economic advantage.

Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

Dec. 21, 2024: The New York Times Publishes Report About the Alleged Smear Campaign Against Lively

The next day, The New York Times published a report about a retaliatory smear campaign Baldoni and his associates allegedly waged against Lively—citing her CRD complaint. In its article, the outlet quoted messages sent from Baldoni and his team—including publicist Abel and crisis communications specialist Nathan—that were part of her complaint. Readers could also scroll through the court documents on The New York Times' website.

 “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct," Lively told the outlet, "and helps protect others who may be targeted.”

 

—Reporting by Sara Ouerfelli

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Sony Pictures

Dec. 21, 2024: Baldoni and Wayfarer’s Attorney Responds to Lively’s CRD Complaint

After news of Lively’s complaint broke, Bryan Freedman—the attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer and its representatives—slammed Lively’s allegations.

“It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions,” he said in a statement on The New York Times website. “These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media.”

Freedman also defended Wayfarer’s decision to hire a crisis manager, saying this was done before the marketing campaign of the movie.

"The representatives of Wayfarer Studios still did nothing proactive nor retaliated, and only responded to incoming media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual reporting and monitored social activity,” he later added. “What is pointedly missing from the cherry-picked correspondence is the evidence that there were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario planning and private correspondence to strategize which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals.”

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

Dec. 21, 2024: Baldoni Is Dropped by Talent Agency

Talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) dropped Baldoni after The New York Times’ article was published on Dec. 21, Ari Emanuel, CEO of the agency’s parent company Endeavor, confirmed to the outlet.

However, WME denied that Lively's husband Ryan Reynolds was to blame for the agency's parting of ways with Baldoni, which the It Ends With Us director later allege in his lawsuit filed against The New York Times (more on that below).  

"In Baldoni’s filing there is a claim that Reynolds pressured Baldoni’s agent at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere. This is not true,” WME—which also represents Reynolds and Lively—said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter Jan. 1. "Baldoni’s former representative was not at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere nor was there any pressure from Reynolds or Lively at any time to drop Baldoni as a client."

John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

Dec. 21, 2024: It Ends With Us Cast Members and More Stars React to Lively’s Allegations Against Baldoni

In the days following Lively's CRD filing and The New York Times article, several famous figures shared their reactions to her allegations against Baldoni—including It Ends With Us author Hoover.

"@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met," she wrote on Instagram Stories Dec. 21, linking out to The New York Times. "Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt."

Jenny Slate, who played the sister of Baldoni's character Ryle, also noted she stood with Lively.

“As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation,” Slate said in a Dec. 23 statement to Today. “Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.”

“What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening," she added. "I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.”

In addition, Brandon Sklenar—a love interest for Lively's character Lily Bloom—shared a screenshot of the complaint published to The New York Times' website and linked out to the outlet writing, "For the love of God read this."

Plus, Lively's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn wrote they "stand with her in solidarity."

Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for The Ford Foundation

Dec. 23, 2024: Baldoni and Heath's Cohost on The Man Enough Podcast Leaves Show 

Liz Plank also announced her departure from The Man Enough Podcast, which she cohosted with Baldoni and Heath, on Dec. 23.

"I'm writing to you today to let you know that I have had my representatives inform Wayfarer that I will no longer be co-hosting The Man Enough podcast," she wrote on Instagram at the time. "Thank you for trusting me with your hearts and stories, for holding space for mine, and for making this show what it was. I will miss you, the listeners, so much. I love what this community created together with every fiber of my being, and that's because of you."

While Plank did not give a reason for her exit from the podcast, it came days after Lively's complaint against Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates.

"As this chapter closed for me, I remain committed to the values we've built together," the author continued in her message to her followers. "Thank you for being here, for trusting me, and for being by my side for the last four years. We all deserve better, and I know that together, we can create it."

She added, "I will have more to share soon as I continue to process everything that has happened. In the meantime, I will continue to support everyone who calls out injustice and holds the people standing in their way accountable."

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Dec. 24, 2024: Baldoni's Former Publicist Sues Him, Abel, Nathan and Wayfarer

Baldoni's former publicist Stephanie Jones and her agency Jonesworks LLC filed a lawsuit against him, his company Wayfarer, his current publicist Abel and crisis communications specialist Nathan in New York Dec. 24.

"Defendants Abel and Nathan secretly conspired for months to publicly and privately attack Jones and Jonesworks, to breach multiple contracts and induce contractual breaches, and to steal clients and business prospects," the lawsuit obtained by NBC New reads. "Behind Jones’s back, they secretly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to implement an aggressive media smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star, and then used the crisis as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, and to publicly pin blame for this smear campaign on Jones—when Jones had no knowledge or involvement in it."

Per Abel's LinkedIn profile, she worked at Jonesworks until last summer. The lawsuit alleges Abel and Nathan "continue to point the finger falsely at Jones now that their own misconduct is coming to light," and "defame and attack" her in the industry.

As for Baldoni and Wayfarer, who are no longer Jonesworks clients, the suit alleges they "repudiated their contractual obligations with Jonesworks and rebuffed Jones’s efforts to settle this dispute privately in arbitration."

E! News reached out to the defendants for comment.

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Lively's attorneys told Variety in a Dec. 23 piece that they obtained the texts featured in The New York Times article via a subpoena to Jonesworks. Freedman—who represents Nathan and Abel in addition to Baldoni and his Wayfarer associates—added to the outlet none of his clients were subpoenaed over this topic and that he intends to sue Jones for releasing messages from Abel’s phone to Lively’s attorneys.

Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty Images

Dec. 31, 2024: Baldoni, Wayfarer & Others Sue The New York Times

Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, Nathan, TAG, Abel, RWA Communications, Wallace and Street Relations filed a lawsuit against The New York Times Dec. 31.

In the lawsuit obtained by E! News, The New York Times is accused of libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract for its article about a retaliatory smear campaign the plaintiffs allegedly conducted against Lively after she voiced concerns about purported misconduct on set.

Saying the report was "false" and based on Lively’s CRD complaint, the plaintiffs denied the accusations and alleged messages cited in the article and complaint were taken out of context.

“Despite its claim to have 'reviewed these along with other documents[,]' the Times relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative," the lawsuit says, "lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives."

They also allege "it was Lively, not Plaintiffs, who engaged in a calculated smear campaign." She has denied this.

The New York Times said it plans to "vigorously defend against the lawsuit."

“The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead,” it stated to E!. “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article."

Lia Toby/Getty Images

Dec. 31, 2024: Lively Files Lawsuit Against Baldoni and Wayfarer Associates

That same day, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer, Heath, Sarowitz, production entity It Ends With Us Movie LLC, Nathan, Nathan's company TAG and Abel in New York.

According to the court documents obtained by E! News, she is suing the defendants for sexual harassment; retaliation; failure to investigate, prevent and/or remedy harassment; aiding and abetting harassment and retaliation; breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence infliction of emotional distress and false light invasion of privacy.

The allegations in the lawsuit were first detailed in the CRD complaint Lively filed earlier that month.

In response to the lawsuit Baldoni and his associates filed against The New York Times—which does not list Lively as a defendant—her attorneys noted in a statement to E! that "nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims" in her CRD and federal complaints.

"This lawsuit is based on the obviously false premise that Ms. Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ruse based on a choice 'not to file a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer,' and that 'litigation was never her ultimate goal,'" they continued. "As demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively earlier today, that frame of reference for the Wayfarer lawsuit is false."

Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Jan. 2, 2025: Baldoni's Lawyer Expresses Intent to Sue Lively

In Baldoni and his associates' lawsuit against The New York Times, the plaintiffs expressed that they “are not done.”

"There are other bad actors involved," the court documents state, "and make no mistake—this will not be the last lawsuit."

In a Jan. 2 interview with NBC News, Baldoni and Wayfarer's attorney Freedman said they "absolutely" plan to sue Lively.

Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix / Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Jan. 7, 2025: Baldoni's Lawyer Calls Out Deadpool & Wolverine

The headlines about Baldoni and Lively haven't stopped there. 

For instance, social media users have speculated that her husband Reynolds trolled Baldoni in his movie Deadpool & Wolverine through the character Nicepool.

Reynolds has not publicly commented on the rumors; however, Baldoni's lawyer Freedman shared his reaction.

"What I make of that is that if your wife is sexually harassed, you don't make fun of Justin Baldoni," Freedman said during an interview on The Megyn Kelly Show posted to YouTube Jan 7. "You don't make fun of the situation. You take it very seriously. You file HR complaints. You raise the issue and you follow a legal process. What you don't do is mock the person and turn it into a joke."

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Lively's attorneys say there have been more "attacks" against her since her lawsuit.

"Ms. Lively’s federal litigation before the Southern District of New York involves serious claims of sexual harassment and retaliation, backed by concrete facts," her lawyers said in a Jan. 7 statement to E! News. "This is not a 'feud' arising from 'creative differences' or a 'he said/she said' situation. As alleged in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and as we will prove in litigation, Wayfarer and its associates engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively for simply trying to protect herself and others on a film set. And their response to the lawsuit has been to launch more attacks against Ms. Lively since her filing."

"While we go through the legal process, we urge everyone to remember that sexual harassment and retaliation are illegal in every workplace and in every industry," they added. "A classic tactic to distract from allegations of this type of misconduct is to 'blame the victim' by suggesting that they invited the conduct, brought it on themselves, misunderstood the intentions, or even lied. Another classic tactic is to reverse the victim and offender, and suggest that the offender is actually the victim."

Lively's lawyers said "these concepts normalize and trivialize allegations of serious misconduct." They also noted "media statements are not a defense" to her claims and that they'll prosecute her claims in court.

John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

In response, Baldoni's lawyer Freedman told E!, "It is painfully ironic that Blake Lively is accusing Justin Baldoni of weaponizing the media when her own team orchestrated this vicious attack by sending the New York Times grossly edited documents prior to even filing the complaint."

"We are releasing all of the evidence which will show a pattern of bullying and threats to take over the movie," he added. "None of this will come as a surprise because consistent with her past behavior Blake Lively used other people to communicate those threats and bully her way to get whatever she wanted. We have all the receipts and more."

(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family).

 

Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin / GC Images / Robert Kamau / GC Images

Jan. 16, 2025: Baldoni, Wayfarer, Nathan & Abel File Lawsuit Against Lively, Reynolds & Others

Baldoni, Heath, Wayfarer, publicist Abel, crisis communication specialist Nathan and production entity It Ends With Us Movie LLC filed a lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, her publicist Leslie Sloane and Sloane's firm Vision PR in New York Jan. 16.

According to the suit obtained by E! News, the plaintiffs accused all the defendants of civil extortion, defamation and false light invasion of privacy. As for Lively and Reynolds specifically, she is accused of breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and they're both accused of intentional interference with contractual relations and economic advantage as well as negligent interference with prospective economic advantage.

In the suit, the plaintiffs denied Lively's allegations of sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign against her. They also accused her of seizing control of It Ends With Us and working with Reynolds, Sloane, Jones and others to "tar and feather Plaintiffs in the press" after she received backlash for her marketing of the film. (Lively said in her filings she promoted the movie in accordance with Sony's marketing plan.)

Plaintiffs allege in the lawsuit the defendants worked with The New York Times "to put out a blockbuster news report as devastating as it was false.” The outlet stands by its report.

In part of a statement to E!, Freedman said, "Blake Lively was either severely misled by her team or intentionally and knowingly misrepresented the truth." 

Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Jan. 16, 2025: Lively's Lawyers Slam Baldoni's "Desperate" Lawsuit

Lively's legal team called his lawsuit "another chapter in the abuser playbook," saying in a statement to E! News, "This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender. "

She further accused him of retaliating once she made allegations against him, saying Baldoni is trying to shift the narrative that Lively "seized creative control and alienated the cast from Mr. Baldoni."

"The evidence will show," it continued, "that the cast and others had their own negative experiences with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer. The evidence will also show that Sony asked Ms. Lively to oversee Sony’s cut of the film, which they then selected for distribution and was a resounding success."

Her team went on to slam Baldoni's reaction to her allegations of harassment.

"Their response to sexual harassment allegations: she wanted it, it’s her fault. Their justification for why this happened to her: look what she was wearing," her lawyers added. "In short, while the victim focuses on the abuse, the abuser focuses on the victim. The strategy of attacking the woman is desperate, it does not refute the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will fail.”

Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Jan. 21, 2025: Behind-the-Scenes Footage of It Ends With Us Released

Baldoni's legal counsel released behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of It Ends With Us, saying that the actor's actions in the video "clearly refute Ms. Lively’s characterization" of him.

"The scene in question was designed to show the two characters falling in love and longing to be close to one another," Baldoni's attorneys said in a statement. "Both actors are clearly behaving well within the scope of the scene and with mutual respect and professionalism."

However, Lively's legal team believes the video "corroborates, to the letter, what Ms. Lively described" in her lawsuit and that "every moment of this was improvised by Mr. Baldoni with no discussion or consent in advance."

"The video shows Ms. Lively leaning away and repeatedly asking for the characters to just talk," they told E! News in a statement. "Any woman who has been inappropriately touched in the workplace will recognize Ms. Lively’s discomfort."

 

Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty Images and Gotham/GC Images

Jan. 22, 2025: Lively and Reynolds Seek Gag Order on Baldoni's Lawyer

The couple issued a letter to the judge overseeing their case, requesting that Freedman—the head of Baldoni's counsel—be placed under a gag order amid their legal proceedings to "avoid improper conduct."

Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Jan. 27, 2025: Baldoni's 2 AM Voice Memo to Lively Revealed

A seven-minute voice memo Baldoni allegedly sent to Lively during It Ends With Us' production was published online. In it, the director appeared to reference the movie's rooftop scene Lively had rewrote and how the changes were presented to him during an alleged meeting with Reynolds and their pal Taylor Swift.

"We should all have friends like that aside from the fact that they're two of the most creative people on the planet," he told Lively. "The three of you guys together, it's unbelievable."

In the recording, Baldoni also seemingly apologized to the actress for his lukewarm reception to her script, saying, "I f--ked up. One thing you should know about me is that I will admit and apologize when I fail."

NILS MEILVANG/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

Jan. 27, 2025: Lively vs. Baldoni Trial Set

One month after Lively filed a formal lawsuit against Baldoni, a court date was set for March 9, 2026.

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Jan. 31, 2025: Baldoni Adds The New York Times to $400 Million Lawsuit

Baldoni’s team amended his Jan. 16 counterclaim to the U.S. District Court against Lively, Reynolds and Sloane to include The New York Times, according to documents obtained by E! News.

In the amended document, Baldoni accused Lively and her team of spending months “colluding” and “feeding falsehoods to the New York Times.”

The filing—which is separate from the $250 million lawsuit against the NYT—alleged that the newspaper “‘cherry picked’ and altered communications stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced to mislead.”

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Vital Voices Global Partnership

Feb. 2, 2025: Baldoni’s Team Launches a Website

Baldoni created a website with information regarding his lawsuit against Lively containing the first amended complaint filed Jan. 31 by Baldoni’s team and a “timeline of relevant events.” Among the information in the latter document was alleged screenshots of texts exchanged between Lively, Reynolds and Baldoni.

The website’s launch came one month after Freedman said his team planned to release “every single text message between the two.”

"We want the truth to be out there," Baldoni’s attorney told NBC News in a Jan. 2 interview. "We want the documents to be out there. We want people to make their determination based on receipts."

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Sony Pictures

Feb. 18, 2025: Lively Files Her Own Amended Complaint

Lively’s attorneys filed an amended complaint claiming that two other women who worked on It End had come forward feeling uncomfortable by Baldoni’s behavior on set.

“Ms. Lively was not alone in complaining about Mr. Baldoni,” the complaint, obtained by E! News, claimed. “The experiences of Ms. Lively and others were documented at the time they occurred starting in May of 2023. Importantly, and contrary to the entire narrative Defendants have invented, Mr. Baldoni acknowledged the complaints in writing at the time. He knew that women other than Ms. Lively also were uncomfortable and had complained about his behavior.”

The amended complaint did not name the two witnesses, whom Lively said would testify, due to the “dangerous climate of threats, harassment, and intimidation fueled by the Defendants’ retaliation campaign.”

In a statement to E!, Freedman accused the complaint of being filled with “unsubstantial hearsay” and alleged that the unidentified persons were "clearly no longer willing to come forward or publicly support her claims.”

Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Netflix

Feb. 20, 2025: Lively and Reynold’s Publicist Asks to Be Dropped From Lawsuit

After Baldoni accused Sloane of propagating “malicious stories” that portrayed him as “a sexual predator” as well as orchestrating a “smear campaign” under Lively’s direction, Sloan filed a motional of dismissal from the lawsuit.

In the documents obtained by E! News, Sloane’s attorney alleged that there was no “basis” for the accusations made against their client and that she was simply “dragged” into the lawsuit as a “smoke and mirrors exercise to distract from" Lively's accusations.

Lia Toby/Getty Images

Feb. 28, 2025: Lively Hires CIA Alum

Lively brought onboard CIA’s former Deputy Chief of Staff Nick Shapiro to “advise on the legal communications strategy for the ongoing sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit occurring in the Southern District of New York," a member from her litigation team Willkie Farr & Gallagher told Variety on Feb. 28.

Shapiro—who worked for the CIA from 2013 to 2015 under the Obama administration—went on to become Visa’s vice president of global security and communications and then Airbnb’s global head of crisis management. After three years at the rental company, he founded his own consulting firm, 10th Avenue Consulting LLC.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Feb. 28, 2025: The New York Times Files Motion to Exit the Lawsuit

The New York Times, which is still embroiled in a $250 million lawsuit with Baldoni, filed a motion to dismiss itself from the $400 million lawsuit that also includes Lively, Baldoni and Sloane in documents obtained by E! News.

The newspaper argued in the filing that Baldoni’s team was telling a “one-sided tale that has garnered plenty of headlines” but that “The Times does not belong in this dispute.”

Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

March 4, 2025: Judge in Baldoni’s $400 Million Lawsuit Pauses Discovery

Following The New York Times motion for dismissal, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman granted the newspapers’ request for stay of discovery, according to documents obtained by E! News.

The filing, which requested that the judge temporarily halt parties from having to exchange information or documents, was granted as the judge looks over the newspaper’s Feb. 28 motion.

Liman noted in the March 4 document that the NYT presents “substantial grounds” and “a strong showing that its motion to dismiss is likely to succeed on the merits.”

The judge also added that he doesn’t believe Baldoni’s team will be “unfairly prejudiced by a stay while the Court decides the pending motion.”

In a statement to E! News, a NYT spokesperson addressed the update, writing, “We appreciate the court’s decision today, which recognizes the important First Amendment values at stake here. The court has stopped Mr. Baldoni from burdening The Times with discovery requests in a case that should never have been brought against.”

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