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6 clusters · 82 sources · 65 days · First seen 3 months ago · Last updated 27 days ago

Lively-Wayfarer and Wallace legal disputes

Overview

In late July 2026, a New York Supreme Court judge granted summary judgment for The New York Times, ordering Justin Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, to reimburse the newspaper $171,616 in legal fees. The ruling applied New York’s anti-SLAPP statute after Baldoni’s $250 million defamation suit against the Times—centered on reporting about Blake Lively’s harassment allegations during the film “It Ends With Us”—was dismissed.

In August 2026, the legal conflicts expanded. Public-relations specialist Jed Wallace sought to depose Lively to determine if she made false statements in his firm’s administrative complaint. Lively, who is pursuing roughly $800,000 in attorney fees from Wallace following the dismissal of his defamation suit, missed a scheduled August 4 deposition, with her counsel labeling the notice “null and void.” Later in August 2026, a federal judge issued a ruling regarding the long-standing dispute between Lively and Baldoni. District Judge Lewis Liman awarded Lively approximately $407,451 in legal fees and court costs. While Lively had originally sought over $8 million, the judge determined that the number of hours for which she sought reimbursement was “unreasonable” and that some documentation was incomplete. Judge Liman described the original request as an “outrageously unreasonable demand.” The award is to be paid by Wayfarer Studios, following the settlement of their 18-month legal battle in May 2026.

By late September 2026, Blake Lively ended her professional relationship with longtime publicist Leslie Sloane. Sloane had represented Lively for over two decades, dating back to the “Gossip Girl” era. The split follows the protracted legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, during which Baldoni had accused Sloane and her firm of orchestrating a smear campaign against him.

Entities

Blake Lively · Justin Baldoni · Wayfarer Studios · Lewis Liman · Ryan Reynolds

Claims

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

[● 9 SOURCES] Blake Lively was awarded $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206.35 in court costs.
[● 9 SOURCES] Lively originally requested approximately $8 million in total legal fees and costs.
[● 8 SOURCES] Judge Lewis Liman ruled that the number of hours Lively sought reimbursement for was unreasonable.
[● 6 SOURCES] Lively and Baldoni settled their legal dispute in May 2026.
[● 4 SOURCES] The award was based on a California law intended to protect survivors of sexual harassment from retaliatory lawsuits.
[● 4 SOURCES] Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against Lively was previously dismissed.
[● 3 SOURCES] Wayfarer Studios is responsible for paying the awarded legal fees.
[● 3 SOURCES] Judge Lewis Liman awarded Blake Lively more than $400,000 in legal expenses.
[● 3 SOURCES] Blake Lively was awarded $363,245.40 for attorney fees.
[● 3 SOURCES] Blake Lively was awarded $44,206.35 for other court costs.
[● 3 SOURCES] Blake Lively originally sought $8 million in legal expenses.
[● 3 SOURCES] The two parties reached a settlement in May, leaving only the issue of legal expenses unresolved.

Timeline

27 days ago

[CULTURE] 12 sources
Blake Lively parts ways with longtime publicist Leslie Sloane
Blake Lively has parted ways with longtime publicist Leslie Sloane following the conclusion of a high-profile, 18-month legal battle with 'It Ends With Us' co-star Justin Baldoni.
about 2 months ago

[CULTURE] 8 sources
Blake Lively awarded significantly less in legal fee dispute with Justin Baldoni
A New York judge awarded actress Blake Lively only $407,000 in legal fees, a fraction of the $8 million she sought following her legal dispute with co-star Justin Baldoni.
about 2 months ago

[CULTURE] 2 sources
Blake Lively awarded $407,000 in legal fee dispute with Justin Baldoni
Judge Lewis Liman awarded Blake Lively approximately $407,000 in legal fees following her dispute with Justin Baldoni, a fraction of the $8 million she originally requested.
2 months ago

[CULTURE] 65 sources
Blake Lively awarded $400,000 in legal fees from Justin Baldoni
A New York federal judge ordered Justin Baldoni to pay Blake Lively approximately $407,000 in legal fees, significantly less than the $8 million she requested following their legal dispute.
3 months ago

[CULTURE] 3 sources
Blake Lively Ordered to Appear for Deposition in Ongoing Legal Fee Dispute
Blake Lively must face a deposition requested by PR specialist Jed Wallace as she seeks $800,000 in legal fees after his defamation suit was dismissed.
3 months ago

[CULTURE] 13 sources
Wayfarer Studios Ordered to Pay $171,616 to New York Times
Wayfarer Studios must pay $171,616 in legal fees to The New York Times after a defamation suit over Blake Lively allegations was dismissed, with the court invoking anti‑SLAPP rules.

Sources

1057thepoint.com · 1067wjjy.com · 24-ore.com · bhaskarlive.in · ca.sports.yahoo.com · capital.pe · cinemablend.com · cnn.gr · comingsoon.net · cremation.com · cretaone.gr · cubed3.com · dailymail.co.uk · dan.co.me · deia.eus · desitalkchicago.com · dete.gr · diariocoimbra.pt · diariodecanoas.com.br · easterneye.biz · elperiodicousa.com · english.alsiasi.com · english.publictv.in · excelsior.com.mx · farandulista.com · film.wp.pl · globalnews.ca · hola.com · hollywoodreporter.com · home.dgabc.com.br · hugogloss.uol.com.br · ibtimes.co.uk · ibtimes.com.au · iltalehti.fi · independent.co.uk · internewscast.com · iwoman.bg · kixi.com · kobieta.onet.pl · ks95.com · latimes.com · lavanguardia.com · linda.nl · lucesdelsiglo.com.mx · madata.gr · minuto30.com · montecristinoticias.com · mymotherlode.com

This summary has been updated 8 times: see revision history