Blake Lively will receive a little over $400,000 of the $8 million she had requested in legal fees from actor and director Justin Baldoni following their resolution of their dispute over their 2024 film “It Ends With Us,” as ruled by a federal judge on Wednesday. Judge Lewis J. Liman detailed in a written judgment in Manhattan the reasons why Lively was not granted the full amount her legal team claimed was expended after Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, countered her December 2024 lawsuit.
Acknowledging the intense legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, the judge rejected most of the legal fees Lively sought, citing the constraints of a California law aimed at safeguarding survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory legal actions. The law, intended to shield survivors of sexual abuse from lawsuits meant to intimidate and silence them, only allowed reimbursement for expenses incurred in defending against defamation claims, not all claims made by Baldoni against her, as stated by Liman.
Consequently, the judge decided that Lively is entitled to $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs. Requests for comments were sent to representatives of both Baldoni and Lively.
In her lawsuit, Lively alleged sexual harassment on set, claiming she faced sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy. Baldoni, who directed the film and starred alongside Lively, denied the allegations of harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign, asserting that Lively fabricated the complaints to seize creative control of the movie.
Following Lively’s lawsuit, Baldoni and Wayfarer filed a countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of civil extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of good faith and fair dealing, and economic interference. Liman dismissed the countersuit in June 2025 and later rejected Lively’s sexual harassment claims, stating that she was an independent contractor, not an employee, during her work on the film.
Just before a scheduled trial in early May, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement, expressing in a joint statement that Lively’s concerns deserved attention and reiterating their commitment to fostering workplaces free of misconduct and unproductive environments.
“It Ends With Us,” a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel about a relationship descending into domestic violence, was released in August 2024, surpassing box office predictions despite criticism for allegedly glorifying abuse. The discord between Lively and Baldoni diverted attention from the film, overshadowing its message and success.
During filming, Lively claimed that Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance, violated personal boundaries during a love scene, and pressured for nudity against her wishes in a scene depicting her character giving birth. Baldoni rebutted by stating that his actions fell within the ordinary creative process of filmmaking.
Lively’s acting credits include “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005) and the TV series “Gossip Girl” (2007-2012), while Baldoni starred in the TV show “Jane the Virgin,” directed “Five Feet Apart” (2019), and authored “Man Enough,” challenging conventional masculinity beliefs.