Blake Lively Wins Attorneys’ Fees in Justin Baldoni Legal Battle, But Far Less Than She Sought

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s public falling-out has cast a long shadow over “It Ends With Us” ever since the film’s 2024 release, turning what should have been a straightforward promotional cycle into one of Hollywood’s most closely watched legal disputes. The two co-stars spent 18 months entangled in dueling lawsuits before finally reaching a settlement this past May, just as the case was headed toward a federal trial.

That settlement resolved most of the dispute, but left one significant piece unfinished: Lively’s request for attorneys’ fees tied to defending herself against Baldoni’s failed defamation suit. Both sides had agreed as part of the settlement to abide by whatever ruling the judge ultimately handed down, with neither party permitted to appeal the decision.

That ruling has now arrived. A judge awarded Blake Lively roughly $400,000 in attorneys’ fees this week, a figure well short of the $8 million she had originally sought. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman awarded Lively $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees along with an additional $44,206.35 in court costs, according to TMZ, which first reported the exact dollar figures from the ruling.

In his decision, Liman found that while Lively’s legal team’s billing rates were “not unreasonable” given the complexity and high stakes of the case, the sheer number of hours she sought reimbursement for was excessive. Lively’s attorneys had originally requested $7.5 million in fees, with hourly rates reaching as high as $2,187, along with another $540,000 in litigation costs, arguing the award would help deter future retaliatory lawsuits against people who come forward with harassment complaints.

The dispute traces back to December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department alleging that Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios had launched an online smear campaign against her in retaliation for raising concerns about sexual harassment on the set of “It Ends With Us.” Baldoni, who also directed the film, responded by filing a $400 million defamation lawsuit accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of fabricating the allegations as part of an attempt to seize creative control over the movie.

Baldoni’s defamation suit was ultimately dismissed after Liman ruled that Lively’s original statements were protected under litigation privilege, with her legal team calling the outcome a “complete vindication” for the actress at the time. Baldoni also separately sued The New York Times over a story that drew heavily on the civil rights complaint, a case that was dismissed as well, with Lively’s newly awarded fee amount coming in at exactly double what the Times itself was awarded for defending against that suit.

Even with much of the case resolved, the broader legal fight had already generated significant public scrutiny well before this final ruling. Unsealed court filings throughout the litigation, including internal emails, text messages, and voice memos, drew widespread attention as details of the production’s behind-the-scenes tensions became public.

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

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