By Elizabeth Wagmeister, Sandra Gonzalez and Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — A judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit against Hollywood power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, a major development in the ongoing civil litigation between former co-stars Lively and Baldoni.

In January, Baldoni sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, alleging that the Hollywood couple sought to “destroy” him and his career, after hijacking his film, “ It Ends With Us .”

Baldoni’s complaint escalated the ongoing legal battle stemming from the film that Baldoni directed and co-starred in with Lively.

In a statement, Lively’s lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb called the ruling “a total victory and a complete vindication.”

“As we have said from day one, th

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