The $250 million lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni against The New York Times has been temporarily put on hold as the court reviews the newspaper’s motion to dismiss the case, according to court documents filed on March 4.
Judge Lewis J. Liman granted The New York Times’ request to pause discovery, determining that Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and other plaintiffs involved in the case would not face significant harm due to the delay.
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“The Wayfarer Parties are unlikely to be unfairly prejudiced by a stay while the Court decides the pending motion,” Liman wrote in a five-page order obtained by Deadline. The judge also noted that The New York Times acted promptly in its legal response.
“The NY Times did not delay filing its motion; it filed the motion within 21 days of being served,” Liman stated, adding that the court intends to address the motion to dismiss “promptly.” Following the ruling, The New York Times expressed satisfaction with the decision, emphasizing its commitment to press freedom.
“We appreciate the court’s decision today, which recognizes the important First Amendment values at stake here,” a spokesperson for The New York Times said in a statement to Us Weekly. “The court has stopped Mr. Baldoni from burdening The Times with discovery requests in a case that should never have been brought.”
The ruling comes just days after The New York Times formally requested to be removed from the lawsuit. The publication has remained firm in its reporting on Blake Lively’s allegations against Baldoni related to the production of It Ends With Us.
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“As our motion shows, this case should never have been brought against The New York Times,” the outlet’s spokesperson stated on February 28. “Blake Lively raised serious concerns about the way she was treated on the set and after the movie’s release.
We did exactly what news organizations should do: we informed the public of the complaint she filed with the California Civil Rights Department. Mr. Baldoni’s misbegotten campaign against The Times—questioning our ethics, attempting to discredit our reporting, filing a baseless lawsuit—will not silence us.” While Baldoni’s legal battle continues, the recent court ruling gives The New York Times an early advantage in the case.
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