Blake Lively Moves to Dismiss Justin Baldoni's Defamation Countersuit, Lawyers & Spokesperson Release New Statements

justjared.com:

Blake Lively is moving to dismiss Justin Baldoni‘s defamation lawsuit. The 37-year-old It Ends With Us actress cited a California law protecting individuals who report allegations of sexual misconduct from retaliatory lawsuits in the motion filed Thursday (March 20) in federal court in New York.

Her attorneys argue that Justin‘s claims should be dismissed under Assembly Bill 933, a 2023 amendment to California law that grants legal protection to individuals who make statements about harassment, assault or discrimination, shielding them from defamation claims unless they acted with actual malice.

If granted, Justin’s claims would be dismissed, and he could be required to cover Blake‘s legal fees. Keep reading to find out more… In a statement provided to Just Jared by Mike Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, lawyers for Blake, the legal team said: “This lawsuit is a profound abuse of the legal process that has no place in federal court.

California law now expressly prohibits suing victims who make the decision to speak out against sexual harassment or retaliation, whether in a lawsuit or in the press.