Blake Lively is set to receive slightly over $400,000 out of the $8 million she initially demanded in legal fees from actor and director Justin Baldoni following their resolution of issues surrounding their 2024 movie “It Ends With Us,” as confirmed by a federal judge on Wednesday.
Judge Lewis J. Liman, in a written statement in Manhattan, outlined why Lively was not entitled to the full sum her legal team claimed was spent. This decision came after Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, retaliated with their own claims following Lively’s lawsuit in December 2024.
Although acknowledging the intense legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, the judge declined most of the legal fees Lively sought, citing the restrictions of a California law aimed at safeguarding survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory legal actions.
Liman clarified that the law was intended to protect survivors from lawsuits meant to intimidate and silence them. Therefore, Lively could only be reimbursed for expenses related to defending against defamation claims and not all claims made by Baldoni. Consequently, the judge ruled that Lively is entitled to $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs.
Efforts to obtain comments from Baldoni and Lively’s representatives were made but remained unanswered.
Lively had accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy in her lawsuit. Conversely, Baldoni, who directed and acted alongside Lively in the movie, denied the harassment allegations, labeling them as fabricated attempts by Lively to seize creative control of the project.
Following Lively’s legal action, Baldoni and Wayfarer filed a countersuit against Lively and her spouse, actor Ryan Reynolds, citing civil extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of good faith and fair dealing, and economic interference. However, in June 2025, Liman dismissed the countersuit and later rejected Lively’s sexual harassment claims, arguing that she was an independent contractor and not an employee during the film production.
Prior to the scheduled trial, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement in early May, expressing in a joint statement their commitment to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive atmospheres, acknowledging that Lively’s concerns were valid.
The film “It Ends With Us,” based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel depicting domestic violence, was released in August 2024. Despite exceeding box office predictions, the movie drew criticism for allegedly glorifying abuse. The public dispute between Lively and Baldoni diverted attention from the movie, overshadowing its message and achievements.
In her lawsuit, Lively recounted instances of inappropriate behavior by Baldoni during filming, including making unwelcome remarks about her appearance, disregarding physical boundaries in a love scene, and pressuring for nudity against her wishes during a childbirth scene.
Baldoni refuted any allegations of misconduct, asserting that his actions were part of the standard creative process in filmmaking.
Lively is known for her roles in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005) and the TV series “Gossip Girl” (2007-2012), followed by appearances in movies like “The Town” and “The Shallows.” On the other hand, Baldoni starred in the TV show “Jane the Virgin,” directed the film “Five Feet Apart” in 2019, and authored “Man Enough,” a book challenging conventional masculinity norms.