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Lawyer Dina Doll believes Blake Lively has a "stronger case" than Justin Baldoni in their legal battle, which began in December. Their lawsuits against each other are the focus of In Dispute: Lively vs. Baldoni, a documentary that premiered on Max on March 31, featuring expert analysis, including Doll’s insights.
Doll opined that Blake Lively's case is "stronger" than that of Justin Baldoni as the latter's claims do not nullify Lively's accusations of alleged s*xual harassment. She said:
"My professional opinion, Blake Lively has the stronger case. Because all of Justin Baldoni’s arguments about fame and control don’t really refute her claim of s*xual harassment. Those allegations — the improvising of kissing, the describing his genitalia, talking about pornography — regardless of where your workplace is, those seem to be pretty strong basis for a claim of s*xual harassment."
Further, Doll also addressed Baldoni's countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and said:
"His argument isn't really that those items didn't happen; he just is saying that there's a different perspective, that they were really more consensual. Both sides absolutely wanna get their perspective out."
For some context, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni alleging s*xual harassment on the sets of It Ends With Us, where the two starred opposite each other. Further, she also accused the director-actor of inappropriate workplace conduct and indulging in a PR campaign to tarnish her reputation.
Baldoni and his lawyers, led by his chief attorney Bryan Freedman, have denied all of Lively's accusations. Further, they sued both The New York Times over an article published based on Lively's claims and the actress and her husband, alleging defamation and extortion. The legal battle is ongoing, as of writing.
Blake Lively files motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni lawsuit
On March 20, 2025, Blake Lively filed a motion to dismiss Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against her, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane. Her motion to dismiss came after Reynolds also filed the same request days before.
In an official statement to Deadline, Lively's lawyers, Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, called Baldoni's lawsuit "vengeful and rambling." Further, they also stated it was a "profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court." They added that the lawsuit is “a public relations instrument designed to further the Wayfarer Parties’ sinister campaign to ‘bury’ and ‘destroy’ Ms. Lively for speaking out about s*xual harassment and retaliation."
In their motion to dismiss, Blake Lively's legal team notably cited Assembly Bill 933, which was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2023, to protect alleged survivors of s*xual abuse and enable them to come forward with their claims.
According to Lively's motion, Justin Baldoni's lawsuit should be dismissed under Assembly Bill 933, which prohibits filing defamation lawsuits against survivors of s*xual assault who have taken legal action against their alleged perpetrators without any malice.
"The Court should dismiss all claims against Ms. Lively with prejudice, deny leave to amend, and award Ms. Lively all relief sought. The law prohibits weaponizing defamation lawsuits, like this one, to retaliate against individuals who have filed legal claims or have publicly spoken out about s*xual harassment and retaliation," Lively's motion to dismiss stated.
Further, the Assembly Bill 933 also requires perpetrators to cover the legal fees of the victim if their lawsuits are dismissed. In the context of the case, Blake Lively's lawyers demanded Justin Baldoni pay the actress's attorney charges.
"The Court should dismiss the FAC and—as required by California law—hold further proceedings to calculate an appropriate award of Ms. Lively’s attorneys’ fees, treble damages for the harm this meritless lawsuit has inflicted on her, and punitive damages against each of the Wayfarer Parties," the motion added.
Apart from Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, their publicist Leslie Sloane as well as The New York Times have also filed motions to dismiss Justin Baldoni's lawsuits against them.
Meanwhile, Baldoni's chief lawyer, Bryan Freedman, criticized Lively's motion to dismiss and mentioned that they would continue to hold her accountable for her alleged deeds. In a statement shared with People, Freedman said:
"Ms. Lively's recent motion to dismiss herself from the self-concocted disaster she initiated is one of the most abhorrent examples of abusing our legal system. 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."
Blake Lively and Justin Baldon are set to face each other in court on March 9, 2026. Further developments in their legal battle are awaited.
