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Blake Lively has been awarded $407,451.75 in attorneys' fees and litigation costs following her legal battle with Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios over their dismissed defamation claims.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled Wednesday, Aug. 26, that Lively should receive $363,245.40 in attorneys' fees and $44,206.35 in costs. The amount is significantly less than the $8,035,040.88 she had requested.
Lively had sought $7.49 million in attorneys' fees and approximately $540,000 in costs, arguing that the work required to defeat Baldoni's claims was extensive and necessary. Her legal team pointed to the large volume of documents and extensive discovery involved in the case.
However, Liman ruled that Lively was only entitled to fees and costs directly connected to defending herself against Baldoni's defamation claim, rather than expenses from the broader legal battle.
The judge said her lawyers' hourly rates "were not unreasonable," noting the case involved "complex legal issues" and significant financial and reputational stakes. He nevertheless concluded that "the number of hours for which Lively seeks reimbursement is unreasonable."
Liman also rejected expenses related to media relations, writing that "Media relations were not integral to defending the defamation claim brought against Lively."
The ruling follows the dismissal of Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and others. Baldoni had accused the couple of defamation and other wrongdoing, while Lively had previously accused Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of sexual harassment and retaliation during the production of It Ends With Us. Baldoni denied her allegations.
Lively's attorneys, Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb, described Wednesday's ruling as "historic," saying the case was about accountability rather than money.
"As we have said from day one, Blake Lively's case was never about money — it was about accountability," they said in a statement.
The legal dispute began in December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint alleging that Baldoni and Wayfarer had orchestrated an online smear campaign against her after she raised complaints about alleged misconduct on the film's set.
Baldoni later filed his defamation lawsuit, while also suing The New York Times over its reporting on Lively's allegations. Both lawsuits were ultimately dismissed.
Lively and Baldoni settled their remaining legal claims in May, shortly before the case was expected to proceed to trial. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, although reports said no money changed hands between the parties.
