In a sweeping decision capping one of Hollywood’s most closely watched legal battles, a federal judge on Monday dismissed two high-stakes lawsuits brought by #ItEndsWithUs director Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, against actress Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, The New York Times, and others — ruling that the wide-ranging claims, including defamation, extortion and breach of contract, failed to meet legal standards. The case stemmed from a December 2024 New York Times article detailing sexual harassment allegations that Lively made against Baldoni during production of the romantic drama, based on a formal complaint she filed with California’s Civil Rights Department. Baldoni and Wayfarer alleged that the article — and Lively’s broader conduct — were part of a retaliatory campaign to seize creative control of the film, exclude Baldoni from publicity efforts and harm his reputation. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman rejected those theories in ful...