New York Times Sues Justin Bardoni’s Production Company

The New York Times has initiated legal action against actor Justin Bardoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, seeking to recover legal costs from a $400 million defamation lawsuit.

In their complaint, the Times is looking for unspecified damages to offset expenses related to the lawsuit filed by Ryan Reynolds, Bardoni’s husband, who has alleged smear campaigns and instances of sexual harassment.

The Times stated that the district court’s ruling indicates that Wayfarer and its affiliates have pursued lawsuits against the paper without substantial justification. This complaint was filed on Tuesday in the New York Supreme Court.

“We will not yield to powerful individuals in what we believe is an unjustified effort, regardless of whether the odds seem steep,” remarked Bryan Freedman, an attorney representing Bardoni and Wayfarer.

Freedman further expressed that if existing laws are protecting legacy media in such a fashion, then it may be up to them to initiate change.

This lawsuit is the latest twist in an ongoing legal conflict involving Bardoni and actress Blake Lively.

Lively has made serious allegations against Bardoni, including claims of sexual harassment for sharing inappropriate details regarding his personal life during the filming of “It Ends with Us,” which debuted in August 2024.

In a lawsuit filed this week, the Times referred to a detailed investigative report released last year regarding Lively’s claims, arguing that their report was safeguarded under New York’s fair reporting privilege.

This legal principle protects media outlets from defamation lawsuits concerning accurate representations of legal proceedings.

The newspaper contended that the statements in their articles were neither malicious nor implausible.

Bardoni, along with Wayfarer, had previously filed a $250 million lawsuit against the Times, claiming defamation related to their reporting.

That legal battle escalated into a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, and Lively’s spokesman Leslie Sloan.

Bardoni’s lawsuits targeted the Times’ reports along with allegations brought to California’s Civil Rights Office at the end of 2024, and later incorporated into the New York lawsuit.

In response to the allegations, Bardoni has denied any wrongdoing during the filming of “It Ends with Us,” asserting that Lively’s claims have prompted many of the actions cited in her lawsuit.

A U.S. District Judge dismissed Bardoni’s case back in June, ruling that the Times’ reporting on Lively’s claims was indeed protected and that the harassment allegations are also legally safeguarded.

The trial for Lively’s lawsuit is currently slated for March 9, 2026.

The Times concluded this week’s lawsuit by emphasizing that Bardoni’s claims against them lack any legitimate foundation, as supported by the district court’s opinion.

They further pointed to New York’s anti-SLAPP law, which is meant to prevent litigation that threatens free speech, stating that litigation costs, attorney’s fees, and other compensatory damages deemed appropriate by the court should be awarded.