Blake Lively’s “Humiliating” Legal Victory Over Justin Baldoni: $400,000 Instead of $8 Million

Blake Lively will receive around $400,000 from Justin Baldoni to cover her legal expenses after initially seeking more than $8 million from the actor and director. A New York judge has now ruled on the matter, bringing another chapter of the stars’ high-profile legal battle to a close.

The judge ordered 39-year-old Lively to receive $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees, plus another $44,206.35 to cover litigation costs. The total came to $407,451.75 — just around five percent of the amount the actress initially sought to recover.

The money covers expenses Lively incurred during 10 months of defending herself against Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit.

Separately, the judge rejected Lively’s request to be reimbursed for the work of her public relations team.

He concluded that media relations were not an essential part of Lively’s defense against Baldoni’s defamation claims and therefore did not qualify for reimbursement.

As a result, Lively’s original request for more than $8 million was reduced to $407,451.75.

The legal feud between Lively and Baldoni began after they worked together on the 2024 film It Ends With Us.

Lively accused her co-star and director of sexual harassment, prompting Baldoni to file a $400 million countersuit accusing the actress, her husband Ryan Reynolds and others of defamation and of attempting to destroy his reputation.

The court later dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million lawsuit. Most of Lively’s claims in the sexual harassment case were also dismissed, after which the parties agreed to settle the dispute without either side receiving a monetary payout.

It Ends With Us was nevertheless a commercial success, grossing around $148 million in North America and $350 million worldwide. The film’s success, however, was largely overshadowed by the very public feud between its two leading stars.