Overview

• U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman approved a stay on discovery in Justin Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, allowing the court to review the motion to dismiss.
• The New York Times is accused of collaborating with actress Blake Lively to publish a defamatory article alleging Baldoni orchestrated a smear campaign following her sexual harassment claims.
• The judge noted that The New York Times' motion to dismiss showed substantial grounds for dismissal and emphasized First Amendment protections for the newspaper's reporting.
• The lawsuit stems from a December 2024 article detailing Lively's accusations against Baldoni during the filming of 'It Ends With Us,' which Baldoni directed and co-starred in.
• Baldoni has denied all allegations, filed additional lawsuits against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist, and claims the newspaper acted with malice in its reporting.