A federal judge has ruled that Justin Baldoni must pay Blake Lively approximately $400,000 in legal fees from the $8 million she originally requested. The decision, made by Judge Lewis J. Liman in Manhattan, represents a significant reduction from Lively’s initial claim of over $7.4 million in attorney costs stemming from their legal dispute.
The ruling applies a California statute designed to safeguard harassment survivors from retaliatory lawsuits. The judge determined that Baldoni would only be required to reimburse fees related to defending against his defamation claims, rather than covering all litigation expenses from the broader dispute. Lively had initially sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and other misconduct allegations connected to the film “It Ends With Us,” while Baldoni countersued for $400 million in damages, claims that were later dismissed by the court.
Both parties reached a settlement two weeks before trial was scheduled to commence. In their joint statement, they acknowledged workplace concerns and expressed commitment to maintaining professional environments. Lively’s legal team described the fee award as historic, emphasizing that her case centered on accountability rather than financial gain, while Baldoni’s representatives characterized the outcome as a victory for their client.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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