Blake Lively’s Link to Judge’s Brother Revealed After Justin Baldoni Case Win

Fans erupted online after it was revealed that Blake Lively has a connection to Judge Lewis J. Liman, who dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against her.

On Monday, Judge Liman—currently serving on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York—threw out Baldoni’s defamation and extortion lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times. 

The judge found that Lively’s statements were made within privileged court documents and therefore could not serve as the basis for Baldoni’s claims.

The legal battle stems from December 2024, when Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on set—allegations he denied—prompting him and Wayfarer Studios to file a defamation suit against Lively, Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane, which all three have denied. 

After the ruling, online attention quickly shifted to Judge Liman’s family ties: he is the brother of Hollywood director Doug Liman, who worked with Lively in 2008 when she and then-boyfriend Penn Badgley appeared in a pro-Obama commercial directed by Liman for MoveOn.org’s Youth Vote program.

Social media buzzed about the bizarre link after an X user posted, ‘FUN FACT: the Judge that dismissed Justin Baldoni’s claims against Blake Lively is Lewis Liman, brother to Hollywood director, Doug Liman Doug and Blake worked together years ago, small world.’

Some users responded by accusing Lively and Reynolds of wielding influence behind the scenes, calling for Judge Liman to have recused himself. 

Another added, ‘I don’t understand how he could preside then. That’s a conflict of interest I’d assume.’

Others dismissed the controversy as overblown, noting that Lively’s only connection to Doug Liman was a brief appearance in a commercial nearly two decades ago. 

As one user pointed out, ‘Because his brother directed a show with thousands of actors 18 years ago, his years of being a lawyer and judge become invalid? Y’all are delusional and ridiculous.’

Another echoed, ‘You think this judge would dismiss a lawsuit because Blake did a COMMERCIAL with his brother? Lmfao.’

DailyMail.com has not received a response to its request for comment from either Lively or Baldoni’s representatives. 

Judge Lewis J. Liman currently serves on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, having been confirmed to the bench in December 2019 after a distinguished legal career that included roles as an Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Chief of Appeals in the same district, according to Coulder Institute.

A graduate of Harvard College (1983), Liman also holds an M.Sc. with distinction in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

His brother Doug pursued a career in film, directing major Hollywood projects such as The Bourne Identity franchise, indie films like Swingers and Locked Down, and working with Tom Cruise on Live Die Repeat and American Made.

While social media users continue to debate the issue, there has been no clear indication of a legal conflict of interest in this situation at this time. 

On Monday, Lively released a statement hours after Judge Liman dismissed Baldoni’s case.

Lively, who shares four children with husband Ryan Reynolds, vowed that she was ‘more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman’s right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story.’ 

‘With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know,’ Lively said. ‘Many of you I don’t. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you.’ 

Liman dismissed Baldoni’s suit alleging defamation and extortion on the basis that all Lively’s allegations were made within privileged court papers.

Liman said in the order obtained by DailyMail.com: ‘The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged.

‘The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign. 

‘But the Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law.

‘The Wayfarer Parties’ additional claims also fail. Accordingly, the Amended Complaint must be dismissed in its entirety.’

The judge ruled: ‘The Times reviewed the available evidence and reported, perhaps in a dramatized manner, what it believed to have happened. The Times had no obvious motive to favor Lively’s version of events.’

Liman, however, did state the Wayfarer Parties will be able to file a second amended complaint by June 23, 2025 but are only able to amend the allegations ‘relevant to the claims of tortious interference with contract and breach of implied covenant.’ 

Lively in December sued Baldoni amid claims of sexual harassment during production of the motion picture. In her lawsuit, the Gossip Girl alum accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways — including body shaming her — and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation.  

Baldoni and his reps have said in response to the lawsuit that Lively twisted the meaning of text messages and mislead the public about their interactions while making the motion picture.

In her lawsuit, Lively named a number of Baldoni’s collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio’s CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.

Baldoni subsequently sued the newspaper for $250 million in a defamation claim over a December 21 story titled ‘”We Can Bury Anyone”: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine ;’ the newspaper has denied the allegations.

Baldoni on January 16 filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, alleging defamation and extortion. 

Baldoni told the court the trio had concocted ‘false accusations of sexual harassment’ against him.