Blake Lively awarded $400,000 in legal fees from Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively Justin Baldoni legal fees defamation lawsuit Wayfarer Studios

A federal judge in New York has ordered actor Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to pay Blake Lively approximately $407,451 in legal fees and court costs. This ruling concludes a long-standing legal dispute between the ‘It Ends With Us’ co-stars.

Judge Lewis Liman determined that Lively was entitled to $363,245 in attorney fees and $44,206 in costs. While the judge noted that the billing rates were not unreasonable given the complexity of the case, he rejected Lively’s much larger request for over $8 million. Liman ruled that the number of hours for which reimbursement was sought was “unreasonable” and that some documentation was incomplete.

The legal conflict began in late 2024 following allegations of sexual harassment and a hostile work environment on the set of their film. Baldoni subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, which was later dismissed. Although the two parties reached an out-of-court settlement in May, the issue of legal fee reimbursement remained unresolved until this decision.

Entities

Blake Lively · It Ends With Us · Justin Baldoni · Lewis J. Liman · Lewis Liman · Wayfarer Studios

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] The judge denied reimbursement for expenses related to media relations. www.hollywoodreporter.com
[● 8 SOURCES] Judge Lewis Liman ruled that the number of hours Lively sought reimbursement for was unreasonable. desitalkchicago.com · pulptastic.com · srnnews.com · www.comingsoon.net · www.sheknows.com · +3 more
[● 3 SOURCES] Wayfarer Studios is responsible for paying the awarded legal fees. pulptastic.com · srnnews.com · www.comingsoon.net
[● 9 SOURCES] Lively originally requested approximately $8 million in total legal fees and costs. desitalkchicago.com · pulptastic.com · srnnews.com · www.thehollywoodgossip.com · www.comingsoon.net · +4 more
[● 4 SOURCES] The award was based on a California law intended to protect survivors of sexual harassment from retaliatory lawsuits. pulptastic.com · srnnews.com · www.hollywoodreporter.com · www.latimes.com
[● 6 SOURCES] Lively and Baldoni settled their legal dispute in May 2026. desitalkchicago.com · srnnews.com · www.comingsoon.net · www.sheknows.com · www.latimes.com · +1 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against Lively was previously dismissed. desitalkchicago.com · pulptastic.com · www.sheknows.com · www.latimes.com
[● 9 SOURCES] Blake Lively was awarded $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206.35 in court costs. desitalkchicago.com · pulptastic.com · srnnews.com · www.thehollywoodgossip.com · www.comingsoon.net · +4 more
[● 3 SOURCES] Blake Lively originally sought $8 million in legal expenses. cretaone.gr · www.reader.gr · www.madata.gr
[● 3 SOURCES] The two parties reached a settlement in May, leaving only the issue of legal expenses unresolved. cretaone.gr · www.reader.gr · www.madata.gr
[● 2 SOURCES] Justin Baldoni filed a defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively in response to her accusations. www.reader.gr · www.madata.gr
[● 2 SOURCES] Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment in December 2024. www.reader.gr · www.madata.gr