NEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) -

Actress Blake Lively on Thursday asked a U.S. judge to

dismiss actor Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit,

calling it a "vengeful and rambling" case that does not belong

in federal court.

In a filing in Manhattan federal court, Lively said "the

law prohibits weaponizing defamation lawsuits" such as Baldoni's

to retaliate against people who have spoken out publicly and in

court about sexual harassment and retaliation.

She is also seeking unspecified triple and punitive

damages for the reputational and emotional harm that Baldoni and

the other defendants allegedly caused.

Baldoni and Lively have forcefully denied each other's

respective allegations. Lawyers for Baldoni did not immediately

respond to requests for comment.

Lively and Baldoni have feuded publicly since December, when

Lively accused him of sexually harassing her while filming the

2024 movie "It Ends With Us," in which Baldoni co-starred and

directed, and then trying to tarnish her reputation.

Litigation began when Lively filed a complaint with the

California Civil Rights Department, followed by her own lawsuit

in the Manhattan court.

Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios

countersued, accusing Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, their

publicist, the New York Times ( NYT ) and others of

orchestrating a smear campaign to extort him.

He accused Lively of trying to "hijack" the movie, whose

themes included domestic violence, and then blame him when her

"disastrous" promotional approach prompted an online backlash

against her.

A March 2026 trial is scheduled.

Reynolds is also seeking a dismissal of Baldoni's lawsuit.

In a Tuesday court filing, Reynolds said the defamation case

reflected "hurt feelings" based on the two times he allegedly

called Baldoni a "predator."

Reynolds also said he "genuinely, perhaps passionately,

believes" Baldoni's behavior reflects that of a predator, and

that using the word is constitutionally protected opinion.

The Times, meanwhile, said it was merely doing journalism

when it published the December 21, 2024 article "'We Can Bury

Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine" about Lively and

Baldoni, and was not helping Lively extract revenge.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan, who oversees

both lawsuits, has signaled Baldoni is likely to lose his case

against the Times.

"It Ends With Us" garnered mixed reviews, but grossed more

than $351 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo.