Blake Lively has been awarded over $400,000 in legal fees from Justin Baldoni, following a federal judge's ruling in a dispute related to the production of their film "It Ends With Us." This decision, made by Judge Lewis Liman, comes after Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against Lively was dismissed. The legal fees awarded include expenses for attorneys' services and other litigation costs incurred by Lively in defending herself against Baldoni's claims.
The initial request from Lively's legal team was for approximately $8 million in total legal costs, covering nearly $7.5 million in attorney's fees from two law firms and about $500,000 in other expenses. However, the judge's final award was significantly lower than this initial demand. While Lively did not receive damages for reputational harm, emotional distress, or punitive damages through this ruling, the judge's order allows her to pursue such claims through other legal avenues, like an independent lawsuit or counterclaim.
The ruling is based on a California law designed to protect individuals who report sexual misconduct from retaliatory defamation claims. Judge Liman found that Baldoni's side failed to demonstrate that Lively acted with malice when making her statements. The judge noted that Lively's statements fell within the purview of this law, she prevailed in her defense, and there was no evidence of malice, thus entitling her to attorneys' fees and costs.
This legal battle originated from allegations of misconduct and retaliation during the making of "It Ends With Us." Lively had previously filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against Baldoni and his associates with the California Civil Rights Department in late 2024. Both parties had claimed some degree of vindication from various stages of the legal proceedings.
