Blake Lively Takes A Victory Lap To New York After Justin Baldoni's Tossed $400M Lawsuit

Blake Lively lit up the Chanel Tribeca Festival red carpet with a dazzling smile and a sense of triumph just hours after a $400 million lawsuit against her was tossed.

Just hours before, a judge dismissed Justin Baldoni's massive countersuit, with sources reportedly sharing that Lively "cried with relief" following the court's decision. 

The legal clash began in December 2024, when Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of "It Ends With Us," and he then fired back with a $400 million lawsuit. 

Lively was all smiles Monday night as she made her first public appearance at the Chanel Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner in New York City, hand-in-hand with her niece, Kate Johnson. 

She looked relaxed in a white crochet dress, paired with Louboutin heels and Chanel accessories, as she posed confidently for photographers.

Just hours earlier, a judge had thrown out Baldoni's countersuit, which accused Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times of defamation and extortion. According to TMZ, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed the case in its entirety.

Baldoni had claimed that a New York Times story exposing behind-the-scenes drama on "It Ends With Us" was part of a smear campaign orchestrated by Lively and Reynolds. He alleged the article misrepresented private messages to paint him as the problem.  

The 37-year-old may have looked calm on the red carpet, but behind the scenes, Lively was reportedly overwhelmed with emotion after scoring a major legal victory in her battle with Baldoni.

The Blast reported that someone close to Lively said she "cried with relief" after hearing the judge's decision. "Complete elation from Blake's world and a monkey off her back. Blake is breathing a sigh of relief right now, and all tears are happy tears," the insider shared. 

Judge Lewis Liman threw out Baldoni's $400 million countersuit, ruling that Lively's claims of sexual harassment were made in privileged court filings and not subject to defamation. 

He noted that Baldoni's legal team, referred to as the Wayfarer Parties, did not provide enough evidence to suggest that Lively's team or The New York Times knowingly spread false information. Liman made it clear, "The Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety."

Lively's attorneys celebrated what they called a "complete vindication," calling Baldoni's case baseless. In a strong statement following the ruling, the team described the dismissal as a "total victory" for the star and also called the lawsuit a "sham" and noted the court "saw right through it."

While the judge did give Baldoni and his fellow "Wayfarer Parties" until June 23 to file a second amended complaint, he limited any new allegations strictly to claims of "tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant."

Lively's lawyers are not done yet. "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," they stated. 

A day before celebrating the major legal victory, Lively found herself under fire after a TikTok user named Landon shared a video describing an uncomfortable encounter at Stoney Clover Lane. 

The Blast reported that the woman said she did not realize at first that Lively was in the store but soon recognized her after hearing what she described as a demanding tone toward employees.

"People are working hard in stores like this, and this is how you're treating them? Like, you're being so entitled," Landon said in the video, which has since been deleted. 

"If anyone is still a fan of Blake Lively, I think recheck your decision on that because she's not very nice to the common people," Landon added. 

The TV personality may have walked away from a $400 million lawsuit, but public criticism over her off-camera behavior was not letting up. The recent claims of rude conduct at a New York boutique stirred up fresh attention, but it is not the first time she has faced backlash. 

Barbara Szeman, a former assistant director on Lively's 2018 film "A Simple Favor," said a negative experience with one person on set drove her out of the film industry altogether.

In comments under co-star Henry Golding's Instagram post about the upcoming sequel, Szeman wrote, "My experience with everyone was absolutely amazing, except for a certain someone who is the reason I quit being an AD."

She did not name Lively directly but hinted clearly, later referencing Lively's legal fight with Baldoni and writing, "Karma is real."

With the case now behind her, Blake Lively is stepping back into the spotlight on her terms.