Blake Lively Wins Attorneys’ Fees in Justin Baldoni Legal Battle, Receiving $400,000

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s public dispute has overshadowed the promotional efforts for ‘It Ends With Us’ since the film’s 2024 release, transforming what should have been a routine marketing campaign into one of Hollywood’s most scrutinized legal battles. The co-stars were embroiled in competing lawsuits for 18 months before finally reaching a settlement this past May, just as the case was approaching a federal trial.

While the settlement addressed most of the issues, it left one major aspect unresolved: Lively’s request for attorneys’ fees related to her defense against Baldoni’s unsuccessful defamation suit. Both parties had agreed to accept the judge’s ruling on this matter, with no option to appeal the decision.

This week, the ruling was delivered. A judge awarded Blake Lively approximately $400,000 in attorneys’ fees, significantly less than the $8 million she initially sought. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman granted Lively $363,245.40 in fees and an additional $44,206.35 in court costs, as reported by TMZ, which first disclosed the precise figures from the ruling.

In his decision, Liman noted that while Lively’s legal team’s billing rates were “not unreasonable” given the complexity of the case, the number of hours billed was excessive. Lively’s attorneys had initially requested $7.5 million in fees, with hourly rates reaching as high as $2,187, along with an additional $540,000 in litigation costs, arguing that the award would deter future retaliatory lawsuits against those who report harassment.

The conflict began in December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging that Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios had initiated an online smear campaign against her in retaliation for voicing concerns about sexual harassment on the set of ‘It Ends With Us.’ Baldoni, who directed the film, countered with a $400 million defamation lawsuit, claiming Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, fabricated the allegations to gain creative control over the movie.

Ultimately, Baldoni’s defamation suit was dismissed after Liman ruled that Lively’s statements were protected under litigation privilege, with her legal team calling the outcome a “complete vindication” for the actress. Baldoni also filed a separate lawsuit against The New York Times regarding a story that heavily referenced the civil rights complaint, which was also dismissed. Notably, Lively’s awarded fee amount was exactly double what The Times received for defending against that lawsuit.

Despite much of the case being settled, the extensive legal battle had already attracted considerable public attention before this final ruling. Unsealed court documents throughout the litigation, including internal emails, text messages, and voice memos, revealed behind-the-scenes tensions during production.

With the fee ruling now finalized and both parties bound by their agreement not to appeal, the lengthy legal saga between Lively and Baldoni seems to have reached its conclusion, more than a year and a half after the dispute first became public.

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