Blake Lively seeks over $8 million in legal fees from Justin Baldoni a month after reaching settlement

Shania RussellTue, June 30, 2026 at 3:55 PM UTC

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Blake Lively; Justin BaldoniCredit: Mike Marsland/WireImage; Araya Doheny/Variety via GettyKey Points -

Blake Lively is asking a federal judge to award her over $8 million in attorneys' fees and litigations costs following her legal battle with Justin Baldoni.

The request comes more than a month after the It Ends With Us costars reached a settlement, just before the 17-month-old case went to trial.

Judge Lewis J. Liman subsequently ruled that Lively is entitled to seek attorneys' fees and costs but denied her bid for punitive damages.

Blake Lively is seeking more than $8 million in legal fees on the heels of her settlement with Justin Baldoni.

Over a month after the It Ends With Us costars reached a settlement ahead of going to trial, Lively is pursuing legal fees related to Baldoni's defamation suit against her. According to court documents filed on Monday, June 29 and obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Lively is asking a judge to award her a total of $8,035,040.88 in attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.

Per the filing, this amount includes $7,495,526.87 in attorneys' fees and $539,514.01 in litigation costs and expenses incurred during the "successful defense of the Wayfarer Action." (The defamation suit was dismissed last year, after a federal judge ruled that Lively’s allegations were protected by litigation privilege.)

Lively's attorneys described their work to defeat the lawsuit as "comprehensive and necessary to achieve the complete win that was secured," adding that Lively "has paid, and continues to pay" her legal bills. In  the filing, they noted that this number may continue to increase, as she will seek "any additional attorneys' fees" incurred in litigating the fee request itself.

Blake Lively in February 2026Credit: TIMOTHY A.CLARY/AFP via Getty

As for the high fee, Lively's attorneys stated they billed her at rates as high as $2,187 per hour while defending against the defamation suit. They additionally pointed to the case's unusually high profile as driving up her legal costs, as well as an extensive discovery process that included more than 7,000 documents produced by Lively and tens of thousands more from the Wayfarer parties and third parties.

Her attorneys argued that the fee award would help to deter retaliatory suits against accusers in the future. "This gross abuse of the legal system was not meant to win in court," they wrote in the motion. "Its aim was to retaliate against Lively by falsely branding her a liar, intimidating witnesses and the media, and discouraging others from speaking out."

In a statement shared with EW, Lively's attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson said, "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 value of this ruling is in the precedent it creates, the accountability it imposes, and the protection it provides to those who may one day find themselves facing similar retaliation for speaking the truth."

Justin Baldoni and Emily Baldoni in Febraury 2026Credit: John Nacion/Getty

Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios have been ordered to respond to the request by July 13, at which point Judge Lewis J. Liman will determine whether to award the full amount, reduce it or deny portions of the request altogether.

Baldoni's attorney and representatives for Wayfarer did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

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Lively's legal battle with Baldoni began in December 2024, when she filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us costar and director, and his production company Wayfarer Studios, accusing him of sexual harassment on set and orchestrating a smear campaign against her in the aftermath. Baldoni later responded with his own $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, claiming defamation, civil extortion, invasion of privacy, and breach of contract. His countersuit was dismissed in June 2025, after Liman ruled that Lively's claims could not be considered defamatory.

On May 4, the two sides reached a settlement just as Lively's 17-month case was set to go to trial. Per the settlement, a federal court decided that Baldoni must pay the attorney fees of hisIt Ends With Us costar. However, Liman denied Lively's additional request for punitive damages.

"The end product — the movie It Ends With Us — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life," Lively and Baldoni, who starred as a couple in an abusive relationship, said in a joint statement.

"We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard," continued the statement, referencing her allegations of sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy — all of which a judge dismissed—against Baldoni, who also produced the 2024 film. "It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online."

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in 'It Ends With Us'Credit: Nicole Rivelli

Lawyers for Lively and Baldoni subsequently issued individual statements, each claiming victory in the legal conflict.

"It was a huge victory," Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman said the next day on TMZ Live of the pre-trial settlement. "It was an incredible opportunity, and I don't think you pass up an incredible opportunity."

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On May 7, Lively's lawyers Gottlieb and Hudson shared a statement with EW declaring "a resounding victory" for their client. "By agreeing to this settlement, and waiving their right to appeal, Justin Baldoni and every individual defendant now face personal liability for abusing the legal system to silence and intimidate Ms. Lively."

Freedman countered, telling Entertainment Tonight of the opposing counsel: “I think they have their own interpretation of what they think is the law… but when you want to parade around and call a loss a victory, this is your attempt to do so.”

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

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