Blake Lively is asking a federal judge to order Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to reimburse more than $8 million in legal fees and litigation costs following the dismissal of the defamation-related claims brought against her.
According to a court filing submitted on June 29, the actress is seeking a total of $8,035,040.88, consisting of $7,495,526.87 in attorneys’ fees and $539,514.01 in litigation costs connected to what her legal team describes as the successful defence of the lawsuit.
The request represents the latest development in the legal dispute that grew out of the production and promotion of It Ends With Us before eventually expanding into one of Hollywood’s most closely watched courtroom battles.
In the newly filed documents, Lively’s attorneys argue that the legal work performed throughout the case was extensive and justified the amount now being requested.
According to the filing, the work required to defeat the lawsuit was “comprehensive and necessary to achieve the complete win that was secured.”
The attorneys also note that Lively “has paid, and continues to pay” her legal bills while reserving the right to seek reimbursement for any additional fees associated with pursuing the current request.
The filing further argues that the unusually high-profile nature of the case significantly increased legal expenses.
Lively’s legal team points to the enormous media attention surrounding the dispute, noting that the case generated “significant press attention, with thousands of indexed and syndicated media articles.”
They also cite the extensive discovery process, which reportedly involved more than 7,000 documents produced by Lively, in addition to tens of thousands of documents exchanged by Wayfarer Studios and various third parties.
Although Lively has now formally stated the amount she believes she should recover, the matter is far from resolved.
Judge Lewis J. Liman has ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to submit their response by July 13. After reviewing both sides’ arguments, the court will determine whether Lively should receive the full amount requested, a reduced award or only a portion of the fees.
Representatives for Baldoni did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment regarding the latest filing.
The request follows another important ruling issued earlier this month.
Judge Liman previously determined that Lively qualifies as a prevailing defendant under California Civil Code Section 47.1, legislation designed to protect individuals from retaliatory defamation lawsuits after reporting allegations involving sexual harassment, discrimination or retaliation.
As part of that ruling, the judge found that Lively may seek reimbursement for attorneys’ fees and litigation costs connected to defending herself against the defamation allegations.
However, the court reached a different conclusion regarding another portion of her request.
Judge Liman ruled that any effort to recover treble damages or punitive damages would need to be pursued separately through an independent lawsuit or counterclaim, even though that right remains preserved under the parties’ settlement agreement.
The legal battle originated during the production and promotional campaign surrounding It Ends With Us before escalating into competing lawsuits filed by both parties.
Earlier this year, Lively and Baldoni ultimately reached a settlement that resolved much of the broader litigation shortly before the case was scheduled to proceed to trial.
One issue intentionally left unresolved, however, involved Lively’s claim for attorneys’ fees, litigation costs and damages under Section 47.1.
That question now rests solely with the court.
Following Judge Liman’s earlier decision recognizing Lively’s eligibility to seek legal costs, her attorneys, Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb, celebrated the ruling.
“The Court has again recognized that Ms. Lively was sued in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and retaliation and has awarded her attorneys’ fees and costs that will be paid by the Wayfarer Parties,” the attorneys said in a statement shared with People at the time.
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, offered a sharply different interpretation of the ruling.
“Ms. Lively was only awarded limited attorney fees for a single claim as part of a case that lasted only a matter of months, nothing more,” he said. “Notwithstanding that all of her claims were thrown out, Ms. Lively then pivoted to exploit a California law intended to protect real victims in what proved to be a fruitless mission to obtain damages. Once again, she failed.”
With both sides continuing to present very different views of the court’s decisions, the legal battle remains active despite the broader settlement.
The next major milestone will come after Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios submit their response, at which point Judge Liman will decide whether Lively is entitled to recover the multimillion-dollar sum she is now seeking.
