New Delhi, Nov. 3 -- A United States federal judge has formally dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million (£295 million) lawsuit against his It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively, marking a significant turn in a bitter legal feud that has gripped Hollywood for nearly a year.

Judge Lewis Liman ruled that Baldoni, who both directed and starred in the 2024 adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, had failed to meet a crucial deadline to amend his complaint following an earlier dismissal in June. The actor had sued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, and The New York Times, alleging defamation, civil extortion, and invasion of privacy.

The case's dismissal came after a procedural lapse: while the judge contacted a...