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Justin Baldoni is hoping that the court docket will throw out Blake Energetic’s $161 million lawsuit.
With solely months to go earlier than their trial early subsequent yr, the clock is ticking.
Group Baldoni is arguing that Energetic can’t show the allegations in opposition to him — or how a lot they price her.
The decide tossed Baldoni’s lawsuits. Will Energetic’s get the identical remedy?
Actor/filmmaker and VOS Honoree, Justin Baldoni speaks onstage on the Important Voices twelfth Annual Voices of Solidarity Awards on December 09, 2024. (Photograph Credit score: Bryan Bedder/Getty Photographs for Important Voices World Partnership)
Justin Baldoni is asking the court docket to dismiss Blake Energetic’s lawsuit
Justin Baldoni desires the court docket to throw out the $161 million lawsuit that Blake Energetic has introduced in opposition to him.
Web page Six obtained paperwork exhibiting that, on Thursday, November 13, the director filed a proper request to dismiss the lawsuit.
Final yr, Energetic accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to analyze, aiding and abetting, defamation, and conspiracy.
Or, extra merely put, she says that he sexually harassed her through the manufacturing of It Ends With Us. She filed a criticism throughout filming. In response, Energetic alleges, he launched a smear marketing campaign in opposition to her — and leveled his personal large lawsuit in opposition to her.
Baldoni’s staff is asking the court docket to toss out her swimsuit, claiming that she can’t show her claims.
Actress Blake Energetic attends the 2025 TIME100 gala at The Jazz at Lincoln Middle in New York, April 24, 2025. (Photograph Credit score: ANGELA WEISS/AFP through Getty Photographs)
Moreover, Group Baldoni alleges that Energetic can’t show any claims pertaining to her contract (or violations thereof).
The argument right here is that the actress “was an independent contractor, not an employee.”
That may be a significant distinction in a number of respects. However it’s unclear how impactful that will probably be on this case.
Baldoni can be looking for to problem “several aspects” of Energetic’s claims on damages.
Keep in mind, her $161 million lawsuit tallies up a considerable amount of misplaced earnings as a result of smear marketing campaign’s lingering hurt to her status.
Justin Baldoni attends the Columbia Footage World Premiere of “The Garfield Movie” at TCL Chinese language Theatre on Might 19, 2024. (Photograph Credit score: Frazer Harrison/Getty Photographs)
He believes that any jury would aspect with him, not her
On this new submitting, Justin Baldoni claims that “no reasonable jury” would aspect with Blake Energetic and discover him responsible.
He believes that the actress can’t show damages for misplaced earnings with “reasonable certainty.”
(Energetic’s swimsuit stems from not solely misplaced earnings as an actress, but additionally harm to her different ventures, together with her beverage enterprise)
Baldoni argues that monetary damages can’t be “speculative, possible, or imaginary.”
That may be a fairly normal debate in a lawsuit over damages.
Actress Blake Energetic attends the New York particular screening of “Another Simple Favor” on the Jazz at Lincoln Middle in New York on April 27, 2025. (Photograph Credit score: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP through Getty Photographs)
Presumably, Energetic’s staff has the numbers to elucidate the lawsuit’s numbers — primarily based upon her historical past of raking in main paychecks and, after all, the social media marketing campaign that aimed to destroy her.
Baldoni’s staff claims that Energetic’s lawsuit “lacks standing to assert claims for lost profits or royalties.”
His attorneys went on to insist that she “cannot recover speculative lost profits.”
These are, after all, issues for the court docket to determine.
However Baldoni is clearly hoping that the court docket will discover absolutely in his favor nicely earlier than they go to trial in March 2026.
Actor Justin Baldoni attends the New York premiere of “It Ends With Us” at at AMC Lincoln Sq. in New York, August 6, 2024. (Photograph Credit score: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP through Getty Photographs)
How will the court docket rule?
Clearly, we have no idea what the decide will determine.
Nonetheless, it appears doubtless that not less than a few of what Justin Baldoni’s staff is arguing is a matter for pre-trial hearings and for the trial early subsequent yr, when Blake Energetic could make her case in full.
That stated, we’re not authorized students. And even they’ll miss the mark on the subject of predicting what a court docket will do.
There may be little query that Energetic and Baldoni each have lots driving on this protracted authorized battle.
Until the court docket dismisses the lawsuit (and even when it does, there will probably be appeals down the street), this battle isn’t going away any time quickly.
