Blake Lively Claims Legal Battle With Justin Baldoni Has Cost Over $8 Million

Blake Lively has revealed that her ongoing legal dispute with Justin Baldoni has cost her more than $8 million as the situation between the two ‘It Ends With Us’ stars continues to evolve.

According to court documents cited by Deadline, Lively’s legal team has filed a request for Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios partners to cover $8,035,040.88 in legal fees and expenses related to Baldoni’s dismissed $400 million defamation and extortion countersuit.

This filing follows a federal judge’s ruling that Baldoni and his company are responsible for covering Lively’s legal costs from that part of the case. Lively’s attorneys are now seeking court approval for the payment, which includes $7,495,526.87 in attorney fees and $539,514.01 in additional costs.

The legal battle began after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation during the production of ‘It Ends With Us.’ In response, Baldoni filed a significant countersuit against Lively, alleging defamation and extortion, which was ultimately dismissed, leading to the current contention over legal expenses.

In the recent court filing, Lively’s team contended that Baldoni’s side employed aggressive legal tactics that resulted in unnecessary costs. Her lawyers accused the Wayfarer team of attempting to financially pressure her throughout the proceedings.

The filing stated that “The Wayfarer Parties employed scorched-earth litigation tactics designed to drain Lively’s resources, including a near-daily press campaign promoting their sham lawsuit, propounding expansive and irrelevant discovery demands, obstructing discovery directed at them and affiliated third parties, and forcing Lively to seek frequent relief from the Court to reign in their abusive docket filings.”

Lively’s lawyers also indicated that the judge’s ruling could have broader implications beyond this specific case. In a statement released after the court documents were filed, attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson remarked that the ruling sends a strong message regarding the use of lawsuits as intimidation tactics.

“Thanks to this landmark decision, those considering using a lawsuit as a weapon of intimidation have been put on notice that there are consequences for doing so,” the lawyers stated, adding that the decision fosters “accountability” and protection for others who may encounter similar situations.

Baldoni’s legal team has until July 13 to respond to Lively’s request. Deadline reported that representatives for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios have not yet commented on the filing.

The decision regarding Lively’s legal fees is tied to California’s Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act, also known as Civil Code Section 47.1. This law, introduced in 2023, aims to prevent defamation lawsuits from being weaponized against individuals who report claims of misconduct.

The fee request pertains only to Baldoni’s dismissed countersuit and does not encompass all issues related to the larger legal dispute. Other aspects of the case continue to persist even after certain parts of the lawsuits were dismissed.

Baldoni’s team was previously given a chance to file an updated complaint, but according to Deadline, they did not pursue that option. A separate $250 million lawsuit Baldoni filed against The New York Times was also dismissed by Judge Lewis Liman.

While both parties have made strides toward resolving parts of the conflict, the legal battle stemming from ‘It Ends With Us’ remains one of Hollywood’s most closely monitored disputes.

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