A judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400m defamation claim against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds , after finding that Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment against Baldoni were legally protected and therefore immune from suit.

The entire lawsuit from Baldoni, the actor and director, which included claims of extortion, was dismissed by Lewis Liman, a US district judge of New York . But the ruling allows Baldoni to amend and refile some allegations regarding interference with contracts.

Liman also dismissed Baldoni’s $250m defamation claim against the New York Times, finding that the newspaper’s reporting on the claims was protected under “fair report” privilege.

At the center of the complex dispute are claims from Lively and Reynolds that Baldoni had sexually hara

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