A judge rules that Blake Lively cannot seek treble and punitive damages in her dispute with Justin Baldoni, according to reports. The decision is tied to California’s so-called “anti-SLAPP” framework, a law intended to protect people who come forward with certain allegations from strategic litigation. The ruling comes after the parties reach a settlement earlier in the case, which left remaining issues for the court to address.
The judge’s Friday decision bars Lively from pursuing the additional forms of damages under the cited California law, limiting what she can request moving forward. The reporting describes this as a fresh setback for Lively, while indicating that the settlement did not end the need for further judicial consideration of damages and the applicability of specific legal remedies.
Both outlets attribute the development to the same court ruling and focus on the restriction against treble and punitive damages under the relevant California protections.
