Judge awards Blake Lively partial legal fees in Baldoni dispute

A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled that Blake Lively is entitled to just over $400,000 in legal costs from Justin Baldoni, a fraction of the $8 million she had sought following their settlement over the production of the 2024 film "It Ends With Us."

Judge Lewis J. Liman issued the decision on Wednesday, explaining that the bulk of Lively's fee request could not be justified under the California law she invoked. That statute is designed to protect survivors of sexual harassment from retaliatory lawsuits, and the judge determined it only allowed reimbursement for legal work tied to defending against defamation claims — not the full scope of Baldoni's counterclaims.

The award includes $363,245 in attorneys' fees and $44,206 in costs.

Lively's original lawsuit, filed in December 2024, alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, and emotional distress. Baldoni, who directed and starred alongside Lively in the film, denied the allegations and accused her of fabricating complaints to gain creative control. He and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, later countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, claiming defamation, extortion, and economic interference.

Judge Liman dismissed that countersuit in June 2025 and later rejected Lively's harassment claims, ruling she had worked as an independent contractor rather than an employee. The two parties settled in early May, just before a scheduled trial, issuing a joint statement that acknowledged Lively's concerns "deserved to be heard."

The legal fight drew attention away from the film itself, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel about domestic violence. The movie was released in August 2024 and performed well at the box office despite criticism.

Lively had alleged that Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance, crossed physical boundaries during a love scene, and pushed for nudity during a birth scene against her wishes. Baldoni maintained his actions were part of the normal filmmaking process.