Blake Lively Wants $8M In Legal Fees From Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively has requested more than $8 million in legal fees and litigation costs from actor and director Justin Baldoni.
Blake Lively Seeks $8 Million in Legal Fees From Justin Baldoni
Actress Blake Lively has requested that actor and director Justin Baldoni pay more than $8 million in legal fees and litigation costs following a volatile legal dispute over the production of the 2024 film It Ends With Us.
In a filing submitted Monday, June 30, 2026, in New York, Lively sought $7,495,526.87 in attorneys’ fees and $539,514.01 in expenses. This request follows a June 12 ruling by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who determined that Baldoni is responsible for Lively's fees under California Civil Code Section 47.1, a law designed to protect survivors of sexual harassment from retaliatory lawsuits.
A Cycle of Litigation and Retaliation
The legal battle began in December 2024 when Lively sued Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, alleging that Baldoni sexually harassed her on set and subsequently coordinated a smear campaign to damage her reputation. Baldoni denied these claims, asserting they were fabricated by Lively to seize creative control of the movie.
In January 2025, Baldoni launched a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, alleging defamation, civil extortion, and invasion of privacy. During this process, Baldoni's team attempted to depose pop star Taylor Swift, though those efforts failed.
Lively’s legal team, led by Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, described the countersuit as a gross abuse of the legal system
that was not intended to win in court but to retaliate against Lively and intimidate witnesses. The filing further alleges that Steve Sarowitz, the billionaire financier of Wayfarer Studios, threatened to use his personal fortune to destroy Lively and Reynolds, comparing his plan to a holy war
.
The Cost of "Scorched-Earth" Tactics
Lively's attorneys claim that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios employed scorched-earth litigation tactics
to drain her resources, which included a near-daily press campaign and obstructive discovery demands. The filing notes that Lively produced more than 7,000 documents during the conflict. These factors, combined with thousands of syndicated media articles, contributed to the high costs.
The breakdown of the requested fees includes:
| Recipient | Requested Amount |
|---|---|
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP | $4.5 million |
| Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP | About $3 million |
Court documents reveal the high cost of this representation. Michael Gottlieb disclosed a standard hourly rate of $2,795 as of Q4 2025, though he provided Lively a discounted rate of $2,187 per hour. Gottlieb billed 224 hours for the defense against the countersuit, totaling $457,000. The median rate for all lawyers on the case was $1,450 per hour. Some bills were even meticulously detailed down to the time spent calculating the numbers, including a 4.3-hour charge on May 31 totaling $2,941.20.
Settlements and Disputed Victories
The primary lawsuits were settled in May 2026, just two weeks before a trial was scheduled to begin on May 18. Under the agreement, both parties earned no money, though sources report that their collective legal teams made $60 million. In a joint statement, Lively and Baldoni acknowledged the process presented challenges
and stated their commitment to workplaces free of improprieties.
Despite the settlement, a rift remains over the interpretation of the outcome. Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's lawyer, characterized Lively's pursuit of damages as a fruitless mission
and stated that 10 of her 13 claims were dismissed. He maintained there was no sexual harassment or smear campaign, claiming instead that innocent people had their reputations tarnished.
Lively's team responded by calling Freedman's statements a pack of lies
and a DARVO [Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender] statement
.
The Judge's Ruling and Next Steps
While Judge Liman ruled that Lively is the prevailing defendant
under the California statute because there was no evidence she acted with malice, he denied her request for triple damages and punitive damages. He noted that such awards do not fall within the narrow exception provided by the specific California law.
However, the court left open the possibility for Lively to seek those damages through a separate lawsuit or counterclaim. The settlement agreement expressly preserves her right to pursue those claims.
Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios have until July 13, 2026, to respond to the $8 million request. Following that date, Judge Liman will decide whether to grant the full amount, reduce it, or deny it entirely.
