Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached an agreement to resolve their disputes, but the legal battle continues as Lively is now seeking a little over $8 million US in legal fees from her co-star and director of “It Ends With Us.”
In a recent court filing, Lively’s legal team requested $7,495,526.87 US for attorney’s fees and $539,514.01 US for other expenses. These costs are attributed to Lively defending herself against a $400-million US defamation lawsuit filed by Baldoni, a co-founder of Wayfarer Studios, in January 2025.
The court filing states that the lawsuit was not intended to succeed in court but rather to retaliate against Lively by falsely labeling her as a liar, intimidating witnesses and the media, and deterring others from speaking out. It is alleged that the legal tactics employed by the Wayfarer Parties were aimed at depleting Lively’s resources.
The conflict between Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 42, began during their collaboration on the 2024 romantic drama film, an adaptation of a 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover. Baldoni directed and acted in the film, which was produced by Wayfarer Studios.
Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios in December 2024, accusing them of working with publicists to tarnish her reputation after she privately accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of “It Ends With Us.” Baldoni denied the allegations and later countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist.
Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit in June 2025 and dismissed Lively’s sexual harassment claim in April. The legal battle concluded with a settlement agreement reached by Lively and Baldoni just before a scheduled trial. Although Lively did not receive any monetary compensation in the settlement, Judge Liman ruled in June that she is entitled to recover certain legal expenses.
The judge cited a California law aimed at safeguarding victims of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory lawsuits meant to silence them. According to the law, if a defamation claim is dismissed in response to a lawsuit, the plaintiff must cover the defendant’s legal fees and expenses, unless malice can be proven, which Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios failed to do.
Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, and Michael Gottlieb of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, provided Lively with discounted rates for their legal services, with Hudson offering a 10% discount and Gottlieb a 15% discount on their standard rates.
Lively, known for her roles in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “Gossip Girl,” has been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, Baldoni, recognized for his work in “Jane the Virgin” and the film “Five Feet Apart,” is also an author challenging traditional masculinity norms with his book “Man Enough.”