Archive · 27 Aug 2026
Judge Awards Blake Lively $407,000 in Baldoni Case
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni had a legal fight connected to the movie It Ends With Us.
Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and helping create an online campaign against her.
Baldoni denied her account and sued Lively, Ryan Reynolds and others for $400 million.
His claims were dismissed, and the larger dispute was settled in May 2026 before trial.
Lively then asked the court to make Baldoni’s side pay more than $8 million for her legal expenses.
Judge Lewis Liman awarded her about $407,000 instead.
He said some of the billed hours were excessive and that certain expenses, including media work, did not qualify.
Lively’s lawyers said the decision showed that retaliatory lawsuits can have consequences.
Baldoni’s lawyer said the small percentage awarded showed that Lively’s request was unreasonable.
Judge Lewis J. Liman awarded Blake Lively $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206.35 in costs.
The $407,451.75 award was about 5% of Lively’s request for more than $8 million.
Lively sought $7.5 million in fees and approximately $540,000 in costs.
Liman found the lawyers’ hourly rates reasonable but ruled that excessive hours, incomplete documentation and media-relations work limited reimbursement.
Lively’s attorneys called the ruling historic accountability, while Justin Baldoni’s lawyer said it rejected an excessive demand.
- Who
- Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Ryan Reynolds, their lawyers, the Wayfarer parties and U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
- What
- Liman awarded Lively $407,451.75 in fees and costs after reducing her request for more than $8 million.
- When
- The fee ruling was issued on a Wednesday after the broader dispute was settled in May 2026.
- Where
- The ruling came from the Federal District Court in Manhattan, New York.
- Why
- Lively sought reimbursement for defending against Baldoni’s defamation-related claims; the judge excluded or reduced expenses he found unreasonable or unrelated to that defense.
Lively’s Lawyers’ Interpretation
Baldoni’s Lawyer and Court Assessment
Meaning of the award
Lively’s Lawyers’ Interpretation
Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb called the fee-and-cost award historic and said it demonstrated consequences for retaliatory lawsuits.
Baldoni’s Lawyer and Court Assessment
Bryan Freedman emphasized that Lively received only about 5% of her more than $8 million request, calling the demand excessive.
Purpose of Baldoni’s lawsuit
Lively’s Lawyers’ Interpretation
Lively’s attorneys described Baldoni’s $400 million action as meritless and retaliatory, arguing that it was intended to silence Lively and others.
Baldoni’s Lawyer and Court Assessment
Freedman said Section 47.1 is intended to protect genuine survivors but argued that the law was applied beyond its intended purpose in this case.
Recoverability of media work
Lively’s Lawyers’ Interpretation
Lively’s lawyers connected the litigation to alleged online smear campaigns targeting women and said the case exposed such conduct.
Baldoni’s Lawyer and Court Assessment
Liman ruled that media relations and press-coverage work was not integral to defending the defamation claim and was therefore not compensable.
- Total awarded
- $407,451.75
- Attorneys’ fees
- $363,245.40
- Legal costs
- $44,206.35
- Amount requested
- $7.5 million in attorneys’ fees and approximately $540,000 in costs
- Approximate share awarded
- About 5% of the amount requested
- Underlying lawsuit
- Baldoni’s $400 million claims against Lively, Reynolds and others were dismissed
- Case status
- The broader dispute settled in May 2026 before the scheduled trial
- Fee issue
- The court considered reimbursement under California Civil Code Section 47.1, the Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act
Sources
Blake Lively Lawyer Reacts To Star Getting Just $400K In Baldoni Case Legal Fees
Blake Lively Gets 95% Less Than Her $8M Legal Fee Request
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
Justin Baldoni ordered to pay $407,000 to Blake Lively in legal costs after $8 million request
