Blake Lively Awarded $400,000 in Legal Fees Following Dismissal of Justin Baldoni’s Defamation Suit

A California judge has awarded actress Blake Lively approximately $407,451 in legal fees, a significantly smaller sum than the $8 million she had originally requested following the dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed by her former co-star, Justin Baldoni. The ruling marks a major milestone in the high-profile legal friction stemming from the production of the film "It Ends With Us." While Lively successfully moved to have the defamation claim thrown out, the court determined that her request for total reimbursement was disproportionate to the specific legal work required for that portion of the litigation.

The legal conflict originated when Lively initially filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation during their time working together on set. Baldoni countered with a defamation suit, which a judge dismissed in 2025. Following that dismissal, Lively’s legal team sought $7.5 million in attorney fees and an additional $540,000 in related costs, arguing that Baldoni’s suit was a retaliatory measure intended to punish her for coming forward with her original allegations.

In his assessment of the fee request, the presiding judge characterized the $8 million demand as "excessive," noting that the calculation included costs that were not directly related to the defense of the defamation case. By reducing the award to roughly $400,000, the court emphasized that legal fee recovery must be strictly tied to the specific legal actions at hand. This decision highlights the court's role in balancing the right to recover costs with the necessity of reasonable billing practices, even in high-stakes celebrity litigation.

Despite the significant reduction in the requested amount, both legal teams have publicly framed the court's decision as a victory. Baldoni’s representatives pointed to the drastic reduction in the payout as a successful challenge to what they termed overreaching financial demands. Meanwhile, Lively’s camp celebrated the fact that the court upheld the principle of holding Baldoni responsible for legal expenses incurred due to a retaliatory suit. The case serves as a notable example of how California’s legal framework protects harassment accusers from strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) while maintaining strict oversight on legal expenditures.