Blake Lively has been awarded a sum slightly exceeding $400,000 out of the $8 million she initially sought in legal fees from actor and director Justin Baldoni following the resolution of their dispute over the making of their 2024 movie “It Ends With Us,” as ruled by a federal judge on Wednesday.
Judge Lewis J. Liman detailed in a written verdict in Manhattan why Lively was not granted the full amount requested by her legal team after Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, retaliated with their own claims in response to Lively’s lawsuit from December 2024.
Recognizing the intense legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, the judge declined the majority of the legal fees sought by Lively, citing the constraints of a California law aimed at safeguarding survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory legal actions.
The judge determined that the law, designed to shield survivors of sexual abuse from legal maneuvers intended to intimidate and silence them, only allowed for reimbursement of expenses incurred in defending against defamation claims rather than all the claims made by Baldoni. Consequently, Lively has been awarded $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs.
Efforts to obtain comments from representatives of Baldoni and Lively were made.
In her lawsuit, Lively alleged instances of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy.
Baldoni, who helmed the dark romantic drama and starred alongside Lively, refuted accusations of harassment or orchestrating a smear campaign. He asserted that the allegations against him were fabricated by Lively as part of a scheme to seize control of the movie.
Following Lively’s legal action, Baldoni and Wayfarer countered with claims against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, including civil extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of good faith and fair dealing, and economic interference.
In June 2025, the claims made by Baldoni and Wayfarer were dismissed by Liman, who later rejected Lively’s sexual harassment allegations on the grounds that she was an independent contractor, not an employee, during her work on the film.
In early May, just before a scheduled trial, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement, expressing in a joint statement that Lively’s concerns warranted attention and reaffirming their commitment to fostering workplaces free from improprieties and unproductive environments.
“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel depicting a relationship descending into domestic violence, was released in August 2024 and outperformed box office projections despite facing criticism for its portrayal of abuse. The discord between Lively and Baldoni diverted attention from the film, overshadowing its message and success.
Lively alleged in her lawsuit that during filming, Baldoni made inappropriate remarks about her appearance, violated personal boundaries during a love scene, and pressured for nudity against her wishes in a scene involving her character giving birth.
Baldoni refuted any actions beyond the norms of the creative filmmaking process.
Lively’s previous works include the 2005 film “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and the TV series “Gossip Girl.” Baldoni starred in the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directed the 2019 film “Five Feet Apart,” and authored “Man Enough,” a book challenging conventional views of masculinity.