Blake Lively is set to receive slightly over $400,000 out of the $8 million she initially sought in legal fees from actor and director Justin Baldoni following their resolution of a dispute over their 2024 film, “It Ends With Us,” as ruled by a federal judge on Wednesday.
Judge Lewis J. Liman outlined in a written decision in Manhattan the rationale behind Lively not being granted the full sum claimed by her legal team after Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, launched their own counterclaims in response to Lively’s lawsuit from December 2024.
Recognizing the intense legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, the judge denied Lively the majority of the legal fees she requested, citing the constraints of a California law aimed at safeguarding survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory legal actions.
The judge interpreted the law, which aims to protect survivors of sexual abuse from lawsuits intended to intimidate and silence them, to only allow reimbursement for expenses incurred in defending against defamation claims as opposed to all claims made by Baldoni against her.
Hence, the judge decreed that Lively should receive $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs.
Requests for comments were forwarded to representatives of both Baldoni and Lively.
Lively had alleged instances of sexual harassment while on set. In her lawsuit, she claimed she was a victim 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 acted in the film alongside Lively, refuted the accusations of harassment or orchestrating a smear campaign. He contended that Lively fabricated the complaints to secure creative control of the movie.
Following Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni and Wayfarer filed counterclaims against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of good faith and fair dealing, and economic interference.
In June 2025, Liman dismissed the countersuit by Baldoni and Wayfarer, and nearly a year later, rejected Lively’s sexual harassment claims on the basis that she was considered an independent contractor rather than an employee during her work on the film.
In early May, just two weeks before the scheduled trial, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement, expressing in a joint statement that Lively’s concerns deserved attention and emphasizing their commitment to fostering workplaces free from improprieties and unproductive environments.
“It Ends With Us,” a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel depicting a relationship descending into domestic violence, was released in August 2024. Despite criticisms of glorifying abuse, the film surpassed box office expectations. However, the contentious fallout between Lively and Baldoni diverted attention from the film, overshadowing its message and success.
Lively, in her lawsuit, detailed instances where Baldoni made inappropriate remarks about her appearance, crossed physical boundaries during filming intimate scenes, and pressured for nudity against her wishes during a childbirth scene.
Baldoni refuted any wrongdoing beyond the normal creative process of filmmaking.
Lively’s acting credits include the 2005 film “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and the TV series “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012, with subsequent roles in films like “The Town” and “The Shallows.”
On the other hand, Baldoni starred in the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directed the 2019 film “Five Feet Apart,” and authored “Man Enough,” a book challenging conventional notions of masculinity.
