Justin Baldoni’s lawyer has said the US actor chose not to refile his $400m (£295m) lawsuit against his former co-star Blake Lively after it was dismissed by a judge, in order to retain the right to lodge an appeal.
After Baldoni’s case was dismissed in June, his lawyer suggested he would file an amended complaint, but that did not happen.
Last month, the judge entered a “final judgment” in the case, effectively ending it unless there is an appeal.
In a statement, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman said: “At this point, we have to set the record straight: no deadlines were missed. Our clients chose not to amend their complaint to preserve appeal rights.”
ReutersBaldoni and Lively, who starred in the 2024 film It Ends with Us, have been locked in a bitter legal battle since Lively sued Baldoni last December accusing him of sexual harassment and waging a smear campaign against her.
In response, he filed a lawsuit against her as well as her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist and the New York Times, claiming civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy.
Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni is ongoing, with a trial scheduled to start in March.
Mr Freedman’s statement added: “In the meantime, we are focusing on Ms Lively’s claims. We remain fully committed to pursuing the truth through every legal and factual avenue available and look forward to our day in court.”
He also said the “truth regarding this case continues to be completely distorted in the media” in relation to the latest ruling, and that “even something as simple as a procedural update has resulted in a total mischaracterization”.
