Blake Lively Says Legal Fight With Justin Baldoni Has Cost Millions, Accuses Him of “Scorched-Earth” Tactics

Blake Lively says her legal battle with Justin Baldoni has cost her more than $8 million, as the ongoing dispute between the two ‘It Ends With Us’ stars continues to develop.

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

The filing comes after a federal judge ruled that Baldoni and his company must pay Lively’s legal costs from that part of the case. Lively’s lawyers are now asking the court to approve the payment, which includes $7,495,526.87 in attorney fees and $539,514.01 in additional costs.

The legal fight began after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation during the production of ‘It Ends With Us.’ Baldoni later filed a major countersuit against Lively, claiming defamation and extortion. That lawsuit was eventually dismissed, leading to the current dispute over legal expenses.

In the new court filing, Lively’s team argued that Baldoni’s side used aggressive legal strategies that created unnecessary costs. Her lawyers accused the Wayfarer team of trying to pressure her financially during the case.

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 said the judge’s decision could have a larger impact beyond this specific case. In a statement shared after the court documents were filed, attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson said the ruling sends a message about using lawsuits as a way to intimidate people.

“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 said, adding that the decision creates “accountability” and protection for others who may face similar situations.

Baldoni’s legal team now has until July 13 to respond to Lively’s request. Deadline reported that representatives for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios did not immediately comment on the filing.

The decision involving Lively’s legal fees was connected to California’s Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act, also known as Civil Code Section 47.1. The law was introduced in 2023 and focuses on preventing defamation lawsuits from being used against people who report claims of misconduct.

The fee request only covers Baldoni’s dismissed countersuit and does not represent every issue connected to the larger legal dispute. Other matters from the case have continued even after parts of the lawsuits were thrown out.

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

While both sides have taken steps toward resolving parts of the conflict, the legal battle surrounding the ‘It Ends With Us’ fallout remains one of Hollywood’s most closely followed disputes.

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