Wayfarer Studios ordered to pay $171,616 to New York Times

A New York judge has ordered actor and director Justin Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, to pay $171,616.20 in damages to The New York Times. The ruling, issued by New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits on July -, 2026, concludes a legal battle stemming from a defamation lawsuit Wayfarer filed against the newspaper.

The dispute originated from a December 2024 Times article titled “We Can Bury Anyone Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which detailed sexual harassment and workplace retaliation allegations made by actress Blake Lively against Baldoni, her co-star and director on the film “It Ends With Us.” Wayfarer Studios sued the newspaper for defamation, but a U.S. District Judge, Lewis J. Liman, dismissed all claims in June 2025. Following the dismissal, The New York Times pursued reimbursement of its legal fees under New York’s anti-SLAPP statute, which is designed to deter meritless lawsuits intended to silence press coverage.

In a statement, a New York Times spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, noting that the anti-SLAPP statute exists to combat precisely such suits. Meanwhile, a source close to Wayfarer Studios contended that...