Blake Lively has been awarded a sum slightly exceeding $400,000 out of the $8 million she had originally sought in legal fees from actor and director Justin Baldoni. This decision was made by a federal judge on Wednesday following the settlement of their dispute over the production of their 2024 movie, “It Ends With Us.”
Judge Lewis J. Liman detailed in a written ruling in Manhattan the reasons why Lively was not granted the full amount requested by her legal team, pointing to the counterclaims filed by Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, in response to Lively’s lawsuit from December 2024.
Despite acknowledging the intense legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, the judge limited the legal fees awarded to Lively based on a California law aimed at safeguarding survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory legal actions. This law restricted the reimbursement to Lively for expenses incurred in defending against defamation claims rather than all claims made by Baldoni.
Consequently, the judge determined that Lively is entitled to $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs.
Requests for comments from Baldoni and Lively’s representatives were made but not immediately responded to.
In her lawsuit, Lively alleged instances of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy. Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in the film with Lively, refuted the harassment allegations, stating they were fabricated by Lively to gain control over the movie.
Following Lively’s legal action, Baldoni and Wayfarer filed a countersuit against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, and economic interference. However, the countersuit was dismissed by Liman in June 2025. Nearly a year later, Lively’s sexual harassment claims were rejected due to her classification as an independent contractor rather than an employee during the film’s production.
Prior to a scheduled trial in early May, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement, expressing a commitment to fostering workplaces free from improprieties and unproductive environments.
The film, “It Ends With Us,” based on Colleen Hoover’s novel depicting a relationship descending into domestic violence, was released in August 2024. Despite exceeding box office expectations, the film attracted criticism for allegedly glorifying abuse. The contentious legal battle between Lively and Baldoni overshadowed the movie’s message and achievements.
Lively accused Baldoni of making inappropriate remarks about her appearance, crossing physical boundaries during a love scene, and pressuring her for nudity against her wishes in a scene portraying her character giving birth.
Baldoni maintained that his actions were within the normal bounds of the creative filmmaking process.
Lively’s acting credits include “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005), the TV series “Gossip Girl” (2007-2012), and films such as “The Town” and “The Shallows.” On the other hand, Baldoni is known for his role in the TV series “Jane the Virgin,” directing “Five Feet Apart” (2019), and authoring “Man Enough,” a book challenging conventional masculinity norms.