A judge previously dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios against NOW over the newspaper’s investigation into Blake Lively’s sexual‑harassment and smear‑campaign allegations.
Wayfarer Studios was ordered to pay The New York Times more than $171,000 in damages after a judge dismissed its defamation lawsuit against the publication. The suit stemmed from the Times’ December 2024 investigation, which detailed Lively’s allegations against the “It Ends With Us” director.
“We’re delighted by the court’s decision,” a Times spokesperson said. “The anti‑SLAPP statute is designed to combat exactly these kinds of meritless suits brought to silence the press.”
A representative for Wayfarer Studios did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to court documents reviewed by Entertainment Weekly, New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits awarded The New York Times $171,616.20 after granting summary judgment.
Baldoni, along with nine other plaintiffs, including publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, sued the newspaper for libel and false‑light invasion of privacy over the article and sought $250 million in damages. The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed.
After prevailing on the defamation claims, The New York Times filed a separate action in New York to recover more than $150,000 in legal fees from Wayfarer Studios, invoking the state’s anti‑SLAPP law.