Blake Lively awarded $400,000 from claimed legal fees in Justin Baldoni battle
Ian Youngs, Culture reporter
Getty Images
Blake Lively’s lawyers argued the "case was never about money – it was about accountability"
Actress Blake Lively has been awarded $400,000 (£340,000) of the $8m (£6.9m) she sought to recover from her former co-star Justin Baldoni for legal fees and costs related to a defamation case he brought against her.
Initially, Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation, leading him to countersue for defamation. A judge dismissed his defamation complaint in 2025, and Lively requested $7.5m (£6.4m) to cover legal fees and $540,000 (£460,000) for other expenses.
However, the judge awarded her a lower amount – $407,451 – because she claimed money for more people and time than necessary to defend against the defamation claim. The judge also noted that Lively took an overly broad approach in calculating the hours of lawyers’ time she could claim for.
Justin Baldoni denied all allegations of harassment and a smear campaign against Lively, with his lawyer claiming the ruling was a "significant victory."
Lively’s legal team described it as historic, stating: "This first-ever award of fees and costs under this California law is historic, and demonstrates that there are real consequences of bringing retaliatory lawsuits."
Baldoni’s lawyer echoed this sentiment, saying: "The ruling is a significant victory for my clients and sends a clear message that… you cannot take advantage of the law for personal gain."
