Blake Lively’s Court Victory May Be Short-Lived

Blake Lively may be celebrating a big courtroom victory, but a legal expert is urging caution.

While a judge dismissed Justin Baldoni’s massive countersuit, the legal battle is anything but over.

With potential amendments looming and a trial set for 2026, an attorney warns this Hollywood showdown is still heating up, and victory could be fleeting.

In a dramatic turn on June 9, a federal judge dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane.

The judge also threw out Baldoni’s $250 million libel claim against The New York Times.

However, two key claims, breach of implied covenant and tortious interference, can be amended by June 23.

Lively’s legal team called the ruling “a total victory and a complete vindication,” and the actress herself took to Instagram, declaring the suit against her “defeated” while linking to women’s rights groups.

Yet in a chat with PEOPLE Magazine, attorney Gregory Doll, who is not involved in the case, warned, “The decision is undoubtedly a blow to Baldoni. But the case is far from over. One thing I’ve learned many times over as a litigator is not to celebrate too early.”

Though Lively’s side may seem to hold the upper hand now, Doll says much can change between now and the March 2026 trial.

“There’s still a lot left in the trial court proceedings, including amendments to the pleadings,” he told PEOPLE. “As all litigators know, sometimes you win everything at trial only to see your case reversed on appeal.”

Doll also noted that most civil cases settle before reaching trial, a fate he still predicts here.

“Does this affect Lively’s leverage in settlement negotiations? Yes,” he said. “Is Baldoni going to fight back, including amending his complaint to try to make the tortious interference and implied covenant claims stick? Yes.”

One claim that Baldoni may revise accuses Lively and Reynolds, both WME clients, of pressuring the agency to drop Baldoni, an allegation WME has denied.

The second relates to Baldoni’s claim that Lively didn’t act in good faith under their “It Ends With Us” contract.

As for the libel suit against The New York Times, Doll believes it was never expected to succeed. “That suit was more of a PR move to get their story out to the public,” he said.

Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, fired back at Lively’s team’s victory lap. “Lively and her team’s predictable declaration of victory is false,” he said in a June 10 statement.

Freedman continued, “Lively’s allegations are no truer today than they were yesterday, and with the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms. Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking.”

Once Baldoni files his amendments, it is likely Lively’s team will submit another motion to dismiss.

However, the final verdict may not be reached until the trial concludes in 2026 or the parties settle behind closed doors.

Judge Lewis Liman dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times, ruling that her statements were protected by legal privilege.

“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged,” he said per The Blast.

The judge added that there was no evidence Reynolds, publicist Leslie Sloane, or the Times acted with defamation-level doubt.

He also noted, “The Times had no obvious motive to favor Lively’s version of events.”

The complaint was dismissed entirely.