Justin Baldoni’s $250 million lawsuit against one outlet is hitting the pause button—at least for now.
Judge Lewis J. Liman granted The New York Times’ request to temporarily halt discovery while he reviews its motion to dismiss the case, according to court documents filed on March 4.
In his decision, the federal judge noted that Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and other plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit wouldn’t be significantly impacted by the delay.
“The Wayfarer Parties are unlikely to be unfairly prejudiced by a stay while the Court decides the pending motion,” he wrote in a five-page order obtained by Deadline.
Liman also pointed out that The New York Times acted quickly in its legal response.
“The NY Times did not delay filing its motion; it filed the motion within 21 days of being served,” he stated, adding that the court intends to address the motion to dismiss “promptly.”
Following the ruling, the newspaper celebrated its small legal win, emphasizing the importance of press freedom.
“We appreciate the court’s decision today, which recognizes the important First Amendment values at stake here,” a spokesperson for The New York Times said in a statement to Us Weekly.
“The court has stopped Mr. Baldoni from burdening The Times with discovery requests in a case that should never have been brought.”
The judge’s ruling comes just days after The New York Times formally requested to be removed from the lawsuit.
The publication has continued to stand by its reporting on Blake Lively’s accusations against Baldoni during the production of It Ends With Us.
“As our motion shows, this case should never have been brought against The New York Times,” the outlet’s spokesperson stated on February 28.
“Blake Lively raised serious concerns about the way she was treated on the set and after the movie’s release. We did exactly what news organizations should do: we informed the public of the complaint she filed with the California Civil Rights Department. Mr. Baldoni’s misbegotten campaign against The Times — questioning our ethics, attempting to discredit our reporting, filing a baseless lawsuit — will not silence us.”
While Baldoni’s legal battle is far from over, for now, it looks like The New York Times has the upper hand in court.
