Blake Lively’s Lawyers Say There Are ‘Consequences’ to ‘Retaliation’ as She Seeks $8 Million in Legal Fees from Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively’s Lawyers Say There Are ‘Consequences’ to ‘Retaliation’ as She Seeks $8 Million in Legal Fees from Justin Baldoni
Rebecca AizinTue, June 30, 2026 at 3:15 PM UTC
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Blake Lively attends the New York screening of "Another Simple Favor" at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 27, 2025 ; Justin Baldoni at the "It Ends With Us" New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on August 06, 2024Credit: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; John Nacion/Variety via Getty -
Blake Lively's lawyers made a statement after the actress filed a request seeking over $8 million in legal fees and costs after Justin Baldoni's defamation lawsuit was dismissed
Lively's filing cites extensive media coverage and discovery efforts, including over 7,000 documents produced during the case
A judge has ordered Baldoni and his production studio to respond to Lively's request by July 13
Blake Lively's lawyers are explaining why she's seeking over $8 million in legal fees and costs from Justin Baldoni following the dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against her.
“Thanks to this landmark decision, those considering using a lawsuit as a weapon of intimidation have been put on notice that there are consequences for doing so," Lively's lawyers, Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, said in a statement on Tuesday, June 30. "The value of this ruling is in the precedent it creates, the accountability it imposes, and the protection it provides to those who may one day find themselves facing similar retaliation for speaking the truth.”
Per the filing, Lively, 38, is seeking $7,495,526.87 in attorneys' fees and $539,514.01 in litigation costs and expenses incurred during her legal battle with Baldoni, 42, and his production studio, Wayfarer.
Blake Lively leaves federal court in New York on February 11, 2026 ; Justin Baldoni arrives at court on February 12, 2026 in New York CityCredit: TIMOTHY A.CLARY/AFP via Getty; John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock
The filing asks that they cover legal fees incurred between January 2025 — when Baldoni first filed his $400 million lawsuit suing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for defamation, among other claims — and June 2025, which was the deadline the court provided to amend their dismissed complaint.
The filing argues that the case's unusually high profile drove up costs, citing "significant press attention, with thousands of indexed and syndicated media articles," along with extensive discovery that resulted in over 7,000 documents produced by Lively and tens of thousands more from the Wayfarer parties and third parties.
Judge Lewis J. Liman ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer to respond to the request by July 13, after which point he will determine the award amount for Lively.
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Representatives for Baldoni did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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The filing comes nearly two months after Lively and Baldoni settled, just two weeks before the case was set to go to trial in New York City.
Lively's lawyers called the settlement a "resounding victory" for her, and Baldoni's lawyer echoed those sentiments.
“Let's be clear, this is a win and total victory for the Wayfarer parties," Bryan Freedman, who represents Wayfarer and Baldoni, said in a statement.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
