Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are seeking to dismiss Justin Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit against them.
The “Gossip Girl” alum and her husband’s lawyers informed a NYC judge of their plans via a notice filed on Thursday, according to legal documents obtained by Variety.
“The Lively-Reynolds Parties intend to move to dismiss Plaintiffs’ complaint,” said Michael J. Gottlieb.
Judge Lewis Liman had previously requested that the lawyers send a written notice to “indicate in one sentence the Defendant’s intent to make a motion to dismiss.”
Liman will set a deadline later to actually file the motion, the outlet claims.
Publicist Leslie Sloane, who was also named as a defendant in Baldoni’s suit, filed a similar notice on Wednesday.
Reps for Reynolds, Lively and Baldoni did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
Attorneys for all parties are scheduled to attend the first hearing for the ongoing legal drama between Lively and her co-star Monday.
Lively — who stars in the film as Lily Bloom — first filed a complaint on Dec. 20 with the California Civil Rights Department, stating that Baldoni, 41, sexually harassed her on the set of the film.
She further alleged that the “Jane the Virgin” alum retaliated against her by launching a smear campaign to harm her reputation.
Earlier this month, Baldoni responded to Lively’s claims by filing his defamation and extortion lawsuit against her, Reynolds, and the actress’ publicist, Sloane.
He also filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times at the end of December 2024 for reporting on Lively’s claims against him.
Baldoni’s lawsuit alleged that Lively rewrote parts of the script and “began inserting herself into the production process in intrusive ways well beyond the scope of her contractual entitlement.”
Lively filed a formal lawsuit against Baldoni on Dec. 31 in New York Federal Court for alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages.
The “A Simple Favor” actress, 37, made claims that Baldoni made her feel uncomfortable while working together. Not only did she allege that he made sexually suggestive comments, but she also claims Baldoni spoke with her “out of character.”
Baldoni released raw footage from “It Ends With Us” in an attempt to refute Lively’s claims; however, her team has called the video “damning” and argued it corroborated her claims.
At the court hearing Monday, the attorneys are scheduled to discuss Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman’s extrajudicial conduct, per Variety.
Lively’s camp has claimed that Freedman’s comments to the press could “taint the jury pool.”
A New York judge set a March 2026 trial date for the case and moved the court hearing originally scheduled for mid-February to Monday.