Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached a settlement, but the legal battle continues as Lively is now seeking over $8 million US in legal fees from her “It Ends With Us” co-star and director. Lively’s attorneys filed a court document requesting $7,495,526.87 US for attorney’s fees and $539,514.01 US for other costs. These costs stem from defending against a $400-million US defamation lawsuit filed by Baldoni, co-founder of Wayfarer Studios, in January 2025.
According to the filing, the purpose of Baldoni’s lawsuit was not to win in court but to retaliate against Lively by falsely labeling her a liar and intimidating witnesses and the media. The legal tactics employed by Wayfarer Studios were aimed at depleting Lively’s resources.
The conflict between Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 42, began during their work on the 2024 romantic drama film, an adaptation of a 2016 Colleen Hoover novel. Lively accused Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of conspiring to damage her reputation after privately accusing him of sexual harassment on the film set. Baldoni denied these allegations and later countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist.
Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed the countersuit in June 2025 and dismissed Lively’s sexual harassment claim in April. The legal battle came to an end last month, just before a trial was scheduled to commence. Lively did not receive any monetary compensation in the settlement, but Liman ruled in June that she is entitled to recover certain legal costs.
The judge cited a California law protecting victims of harassment and discrimination from retaliatory lawsuits meant to silence them. Lively’s lawyers provided her with discounted legal fees, with Esra Hudson of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and Michael Gottlieb of Willkie Farr & Gallagher offering slight breaks on their standard rates.
Lively, known for her roles in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “Gossip Girl,” and Baldoni, recognized for his work in “Jane the Virgin” and “Five Feet Apart,” have been at the center of this high-profile legal dispute.
