Blake Lively will receive a little over $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 their 2024 film “It Ends With Us,” as determined by a federal judge on Wednesday.
In a written ruling in Manhattan, Judge Lewis J. Liman clarified why Lively was not granted the full amount requested by her legal team after Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, countered her lawsuit from December 2024.
The judge acknowledged the intense legal battle between Lively and Baldoni but restricted Lively’s claim based on a California law aimed at shielding survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory legal actions.
Liman explained that the law allowed Lively to be reimbursed only for expenses related to defending against defamation accusations, rather than covering all of Baldoni’s claims against her. Consequently, the judge decided that Lively is entitled to $363,245 in lawyers’ fees and $44,206 in costs.
Efforts to obtain comments from Baldoni and Lively’s representatives have been made.
Lively had accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy in her lawsuit. In response, Baldoni, who directed and starred in the film with Lively, denied the allegations, suggesting they were fabricated by Lively to gain control of the movie’s creative direction.
Following Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni and Wayfarer filed a countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of good faith, fair dealing, and economic interference. However, Liman dismissed their countersuit in June 2025 and later rejected Lively’s sexual harassment claims, stating she was an independent contractor rather than an employee during the film’s production.
Before the trial scheduled for early May, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement, expressing in a joint statement their commitment to fostering workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.
“It Ends With Us,” a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel depicting a deteriorating relationship leading to domestic violence, was released in August 2024. Despite exceeding box office expectations, the movie faced criticism for seemingly glorifying abuse. The discord between Lively and Baldoni diverted attention from the film, overshadowing its message and success.
Lively’s lawsuit detailed instances where Baldoni allegedly made inappropriate remarks about her appearance, violated personal boundaries during filming, and pressured for nudity against her wishes. Baldoni maintained that his actions were part of the standard creative process in filmmaking.
Lively is known for her roles in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005) and the TV series “Gossip Girl” (2007-2012), along with starring in films like “The Town” and “The Shallows.” Meanwhile, Baldoni gained recognition for his role in the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directing “Five Feet Apart” in 2019, and authoring “Man Enough,” challenging conventional notions of masculinity.