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Judge awards Blake Lively $400,000 of requested $8 million in legal fees from Justin Baldoni dispute

A federal judge ruled that the actress is entitled to reimbursement only for defending against dismissed defamation claims related to their dispute over the film It Ends With Us.

Updated Aug 26, 2026 · 19:19 UTC3 reports

The short version

  • A federal judge awarded Blake Lively roughly $400,000 in legal fees and court costs, significantly less than the $8 million she originally requested following her legal fight with actor-director Justin Baldoni.
  • U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that the hours billed by Lively's attorneys were unreasonable and limited the award strictly to expenses incurred defending against Baldoni's dismissed defamation claims.
  • The decision resolves an outstanding issue after the pair reached an out-of-court settlement in May 2026, averting a trial over allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and defamation.

Key facts

  • U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman ordered Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, to pay Blake Lively $363,245.40 in attorneys' fees and $44,206.35 in costs.[NBC News · Associated Press · Variety]
  • Lively had requested over $8 million in total fees and costs, comprising roughly $7.5 million in legal fees and over $539,000 in court expenses.[NBC News · Associated Press · Variety]
  • The judge determined that while hourly rates were not unreasonable, the number of hours requested for reimbursement was excessive, and rejected fee requests related to media relations and certain travel expenses.[NBC News · Variety]
  • Judge Liman restricted the scope of the fee recovery using provisions of a California law protecting survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory suits, limiting recovery to defense against defamation claims.[Associated Press]
  • Lively initially filed suit alleging sexual harassment and workplace retaliation during the production of the 2024 film 'It Ends With Us,' while Baldoni denied the allegations and countersued, alleging civil extortion and defamation.[NBC News · Associated Press · Variety]
  • Judge Liman previously dismissed Baldoni's countersuits as well as Lively's sexual harassment claims, citing her status as an independent contractor rather than an employee.[NBC News · Associated Press]
  • The opposing parties settled their broader legal battle in May 2026 prior to a scheduled federal trial, leaving the fee application as the remaining issue.[NBC News · Associated Press · Variety]

Sources