Blake Lively Awarded $400K in Legal Fees from Justin Baldoni After Intense Court Battle

POLICY WIRE — New York, USA — Blake Lively has been awarded just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from actor and director Justin Baldoni, following the resolution of their legal dispute over the 2024 film “It Ends With Us,” according to a federal judge’s ruling on Wednesday.

Manhattan Judge Lewis J. Liman detailed in a written decision why Lively was not entitled to the full amount her legal team claimed she had incurred. This decision came after Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, filed counterclaims in response to her December 2024 lawsuit.

The judge recognized the intense legal conflict between Lively and Baldoni but denied most of the legal fees she requested. He cited limitations under a California law designed to protect survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory lawsuits.

Liman clarified that the law, intended to safeguard sex abuse survivors from intimidating legal actions, could only be interpreted to allow reimbursement for what Lively paid her lawyers to defend against defamation claims, not all claims made by Baldoni.

Consequently, the judge ruled that Lively is entitled to $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs.

Requests for comments were directed to representatives of both Baldoni and Lively.

In her lawsuit, Lively alleged she faced sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy. Baldoni, who directed and starred in the film with Lively, denied all allegations, claiming Lively fabricated the complaints to gain creative control over the movie.

Weeks after Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni and Wayfarer countersued Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of good faith and fair dealing, and economic interference.

In June 2025, Liman dismissed the countersuit filed by Baldoni and Wayfarer. Nearly a year later, he rejected Lively’s sexual harassment claims, stating she was an independent contractor, not an employee, during the film’s production.

In early May, just two weeks before a scheduled trial, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement. They issued a joint statement acknowledging Lively’s concerns and their commitment to maintaining professional workplaces.

“It Ends With Us,” based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel about a relationship descending into domestic violence, was released in August 2024. Despite criticism for glorifying abuse, the film surpassed box office expectations. The public dispute between Lively and Baldoni, however, diverted attention from the film’s message and success.

Lively’s lawsuit detailed allegations of inappropriate comments about her appearance, boundary violations during a love scene, and pressure for nudity against her wishes during a childbirth scene. Baldoni refuted these claims, stating his actions were within the normal creative process of filmmaking.

Before “It Ends With Us,” Lively was known for roles in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005) and the TV series “Gossip Girl” (2007-2012), as well as films like “The Town” and “The Shallows.” Baldoni gained recognition through the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directed the 2019 film “Five Feet Apart,” and authored “Man Enough,” challenging traditional masculinity norms.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)