Blake Lively Seeks $8.04 Million in Legal Fees From Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively is requesting millions from Justin Baldoni to cover her legal fees amid their It Ends With Us battle.
According to court documents filed on Monday, June 29, and obtained by Us Weekly, Lively, 38, is seeking a total of $8,035,040.88 in attorneys' fees and litigation costs from Baldoni following the dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against her. Lively is seeking $7,495,526.87 in attorneys' fees and $539,514.01 in litigation costs and expenses incurred during the "successful defense of the Wayfarer Action."
"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 attorneys said in a statement to Us. "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."
Lively's legal team stated that the work required to defeat the lawsuit was "comprehensive and necessary to achieve the complete win that was secured." They noted in the filing that Lively "has paid, and continues to pay" her legal bills. They also said she will seek "any additional attorneys' fees" incurred in litigating the fee request itself.
The paperwork also highlighted the "significant press attention, with thousands of indexed and syndicated media articles" about the case, which affected the amount. There was also mention of extensive discovery that included more than 7,000 documents produced by Lively and tens of thousands more from the Wayfarer parties and third parties.
Judge Lewis J. Limanhas ordered Baldoni, 42, and Wayfarer Studios to respond to Lively's request by July 13. After that, Liman will determine whether to award the full amount - or reduce or deny the request.
Lively originally sued Baldoni in December 2024, accusing her It Ends With Us costar and director of sexual harassment and orchestrating an alleged smear campaign against her. Baldoni has vehemently denied the allegations and subsequently countersued Lively. His lawsuit was dismissed by a judge in June 2025.
Before Lively's trial against Baldoni was set to begin in May, both parties made headlines after evidence and depositions were unsealed. Text messages and emails to and from stars like Taylor Swift, Ryan Reynolds, Jenny Slate and Ben Affleck were released via court documents.
Lively and Baldoni ultimately reached a settlement out of court last month.
"The end product - the movie It Ends With Us - is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors - and all survivors - is a goal that we stand behind," Lively and Baldoni shared in a joint May statement via their attorneys. "We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard."
The statement continued, "We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online."
Copyright Us Weekly. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 9:43 AM.