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Following a series of legal disputes, Blake Lively has filed a motion in federal court to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against her by actor and director Justin Baldoni.
According to E! News, Lively's motion, filed in New York, aims to end Baldoni's USD 400 million defamation counterclaim and emphasizes California legal protections for individuals who report sexual misconduct. The legal battle began two months ago when Baldoni filed his countersuit, accusing Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others of civil extortion, defamation, and false light invasion of privacy. This was in response to Lively's lawsuit, where she had accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. In the motion to dismiss, Lively's attorneys strongly criticized Baldoni's countersuit, calling it "vengeful and rambling" and accusing him of abusing the legal process. According to E! News, the filing argues that Baldoni's claims should be dismissed under California's Assembly Bill 933, a 2023 amendment that provides legal protection for individuals who report allegations of sexual misconduct as long as their statements are made without malice. The law, specifically designed to prevent the weaponization of defamation lawsuits in retaliation for speaking out, has been seen as a crucial safeguard in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Lively's attorneys argued, "The law prohibits weaponizing defamation lawsuits, like this one, to retaliate against individuals who have filed legal claims or have publicly spoken out about sexual harassment and retaliation." They further emphasized that both the right to seek legal redress and the freedom of the press to report such issues are protected by legal privileges. In response, Baldoni's legal team dismissed Lively's motion, labelling it an attempt to escape the consequences of what they referred to as "a self-concocted disaster." Baldoni's lawyer vowed to continue holding Lively accountable, claiming her accusations of harassment and retaliation would be proven false during discovery. As per E! News, the legal team argued that Lively's claims would be easily disproven with factual evidence. The motion to dismiss also raised concerns over the potential misuse of the legal system for public relations purposes. Lively's attorneys accused Baldoni's team of using the lawsuit as a tool to discredit her publicly and "bury" her for speaking out about her experiences with sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace. Lively's spokesperson echoed these concerns, saying, "The painful reality is that Ms. Lively is not alone in being sued for defamation after speaking up about being sexually harassed at work," as quoted by E! News. The legal filing also notes that should the motion be granted, Baldoni could be required to compensate Lively for her legal fees and any damages she incurred during the process. Lively's team described Baldoni's legal tactics as an "epic self-own," highlighting how Baldoni's efforts to "sue Ms Lively 'into oblivion'" could end up causing more legal and financial consequences for him and his team. Lively's spokesperson shared a statement emphasizing that while Lively has suffered greatly as a result of pursuing her legal claims, the case serves as a reminder of the protections afforded to individuals who speak out about harassment. "It is important for other people to know that they have protections and that there is a specific law that expressly protects them from being silenced or financially ruined by a defamation lawsuit because they had the courage to speak up," the statement read, as per E! News. This latest filing follows a similar motion from Ryan Reynolds, who requested to be dismissed from Baldoni's lawsuit, denying the defamation claims against him. (ANI)
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