Justin Baldoni’s Company Sued by ‘New York Times’ for Fees from Dismissed Case

The New York Times is suing Justin Baldoni‘s production company for costs associated with his since-dismissed defamation case against the publication.

As outlined in a complaint filed Tuesday, Sept. 30, in New York Supreme Court and obtained by PEOPLE, this latest move is “to recover costs, fees and expenses incurred by The Times in the defense of a defamation action brought by Wayfarer and parties associated with” Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios LLC, which is named as the sole defendant in the filing.

Citing the state’s anti-SLAPP law, The Times is seeking “compensatory and punitive damages against plaintiffs who, like Wayfarer, commence or continue meritless legal claims for the purpose of ‘harassing, intimidating, punishing or otherwise maliciously inhibiting the free exercise of speech,’ ” per the complaint, which also claimed that The Times‘ costs were at least $150,000.

Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman said in a statement obtained by Deadline on Wednesday, Oct. 1, “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,” he added. “Our unwillingness to compromise our values, no matter the odds or the outcome, reflects a simple conviction that standing up for the truth and what is right matters. If the current laws protect legacy media in this manner, perhaps it’s up to us to ignite that change.”

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In a major setback for Baldoni, 41, his $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively — as well as her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist, plus his lawsuit against The Times — were all tossed out by Judge Lewis J. Liman on June 9.

“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged,” Judge Liman wrote in his opinion and order filing. “The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign.”

“But 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,” he continued, adding, “The Wayfarer Parties’ additional claims also fail. Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety.”

The Times has long stood behind its coverage of Lively’s complaint that was filed in December 2024 and led to her lawsuit against Baldoni, whom she worked with on 2024’s It Ends with Us. She has alleged sexual harassment and retaliation, which he denies, and her lawyers have previously called his subsequent countersuit “vengeful” and “meritless.” A spokesperson for the newspaper previously said, “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported.”

“The District Court’s opinion makes clear that Wayfarer and its affiliates both commenced and continued the lawsuit against The Times without a substantial basis in fact and law,” The Times’ Tuesday complaint read.

Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman spoke out in March after Lively, 38, filed a motion to dismiss their countersuit, claiming the actress’s attempt to “dismiss herself from the self-concocted disaster she initiated is one of the most abhorrent examples of abusing our legal system.”

He added at the time, “Stringent rules are put into place to protect the innocent and allow individuals to rightfully defend themselves. Laws are not meant to be twisted and curated by privileged elites to fit their own personal agenda.”

The Another Simple Favor actress agreed in June to drop two of her claims against Baldoni — intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress — in a move her legal team described at the time as a “routine part of the litigation process” for “streamlining and focusing” their case.

Lively and Baldoni’s trial, during which both are expected to testify, is currently scheduled for March 2026.