Blake Lively has been granted a little over $400,000 in legal fees out of the $8 million she had initially requested from actor and director Justin Baldoni following their resolution of issues surrounding their 2024 film “It Ends With Us,” as per a ruling by a federal judge on Wednesday. Judge Lewis J. Liman, in a written decision in Manhattan, outlined why Lively was not awarded the full amount her legal team had claimed, considering the counterclaims made by Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, in response to Lively’s lawsuit from December 2024.
Despite acknowledging the intense legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, the judge limited the reimbursement of legal fees, citing a California law aimed at safeguarding survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory legal actions. This law restricted Lively’s entitlement to attorney fees specifically related to defending against defamation claims rather than all claims made by Baldoni, resulting in a ruling of $363,245 for attorneys’ fees and $44,206 for costs.
Efforts to obtain comments from representatives of both Baldoni and Lively were made following the ruling.
In her legal action, Lively alleged instances of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, emotional distress, and invasion of privacy. Baldoni, who directed and co-starred in the film with Lively, refuted the harassment allegations, asserting that they were fabricated by Lively in an attempt to seize creative control of the movie.
After Lively filed her lawsuit, Baldoni and Wayfarer retaliated with counterclaims against Lively and her spouse, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, and economic interference. Subsequently, in June 2025, the court dismissed the countersuit filed by Baldoni and Wayfarer, and almost a year later, rejected Lively’s sexual harassment claims based on her classification as an independent contractor during the film production.
Prior to the scheduled trial in early May, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement, expressing in a joint statement their commitment to fostering work environments free from improprieties.
The film, “It Ends With Us,” adapted from Colleen Hoover’s novel, was released in August 2024 and surpassed box office projections despite facing criticism for potentially glorifying abuse. The legal dispute between Lively and Baldoni overshadowed the film’s success and message.
Lively’s lawsuit detailed instances where Baldoni allegedly made inappropriate remarks about her, violated personal boundaries during filming, and pressured for nudity against her wishes. Baldoni defended his actions as part of the standard creative process in filmmaking.
Lively’s acting credits include “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005) and the TV series “Gossip Girl” (2007-2012), alongside notable film roles in “The Town” and “The Shallows.” Meanwhile, Baldoni starred in “Jane the Virgin,” directed “Five Feet Apart” (2019), and authored “Man Enough,” a book challenging conventional notions of masculinity.