Judge Grants Blake Lively More Than $400,000 in Legal Fees in Dispute With Justin Baldoni

A federal judge in Manhattan has awarded Blake Lively more than $400,000, stemming from her legal battle with “It Ends With Us” co-star and director Justin Baldoni.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that Lively could recover the amount in attorneys’ fees and other costs in defending against a defamation lawsuit brought forward by Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios.

The amount is far less than the roughly $8 million she had originally requested. Liman concluded the hourly rates charged by her legal team were not unreasonable given the complexity and stakes of the dispute, but noted the number of hours submitted for reimbursement was excessive.

The judge also rejected compensation for certain work, including media relations and administrative tasks, and questioned portions of the documentation supporting the request.

The fees in question were part of a nearly two-year legal battle between the two parties that began after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation connected to production of the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel.

Baldoni vehemently denied the allegations and responded with a $400 million countersuit of his own, accusing Lively, her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, and others of defamation and extortion.

Baldoni went on to separately file a $250 million libel suit against The New York Times, which first reported on the matter, claiming unfair treatment and interference from the publication.

Liman went on to dismiss Baldoni’s countersuit against Lively in June 2025, and later ruled that the actress could seek reasonable legal fees under a California law intended to protect people who report sexual misconduct from retaliatory defamation actions.

The law, however, did not allow Lively to recover every legal expense that was incurred during the broader dispute, limiting the award primarily to costs associated with defending against the defamation claims.

The two parties ended their legal fight in May, just two weeks before they were scheduled to go to trial in New York over contentious dueling claims.

Liman tossed 10 of the 13 claims she made against Baldoni over conduct on the set of their film. Three of Lively’s claims of breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation were left intact, but she agreed to have them dropped, avoiding the May 18 trial date.

Attorneys for both sides issued a statement at the time, confirming the settlement agreement, noting a commonality they share is “raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors, and all survivors” through the film.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.