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Astronomical Lawsuit: Justin Baldoni Targets Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for $400 Million. Experts Skeptical of Huge Damages Claim in Ongoing Hollywood Legal Battle
Actor-director Justin Baldoni Escalating feud: Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s battle over ‘it ends with us’’s $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry, with legal experts questioning the feasibility of such an astronomical figure.
According to family law attorney Raiford Dalton Palmer, the staggering sum is more about grabbing headlines than a realistic legal strategy. “That’s just a number picked out of thin air,” he told Page Six. “It bears no relation to what they can prove here.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by other legal experts, who suggested that such excessive claims are often used for “scare value and to get press attention.”
Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, believes Baldoni’s primary aim is to clear his name and send a message to Lively rather than actually securing a massive payout.
The actor reportedly faced professional setbacks, including being dropped by his agency WME and losing a women’s solidarity award. Entertainment lawyer Camron Dowlatshahi asserted that the $400 million figure is more of a “PR play” than a realistic legal strategy.
“I don’t see a world where this ends in the $400 million range,” he said, suggesting that the only way Baldoni could potentially justify such a sum is if he can prove he was “on his way to making a half billion dollars” before the alleged defamation and extortion derailed his career.
The staggering $400 million claim is nearly four times the combined net worth of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, which is estimated to be around $101.5 million, according to Forbes. Lively’s net worth is pegged at $30 million, while Reynolds’ sits at approximately $71.5 million.
The legal drama between Baldoni and Blake Lively began in August 2024, with the Gossip Girl alum filing a lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and lost wages. The trial is scheduled to commence on March 9, 2026.
While the legal battle continues to unfold, industry experts remain highly skeptical that Baldoni’s astronomical $400 million claim will hold up in court, suggesting that the figure is more about grabbing attention than a realistic legal strategy.