Blake Lively Added an $8 Million Layer to Her Legal Battle With Justin Baldoni
The headline-making lawsuit between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni reached a settlement on May 4, 2026, but the legal disputes between the It Ends With Us co-stars aren’t over yet.
According to The Guardian, Lively submitted a request on Monday, June 29, 2026, for Baldoni to pay her legal fees and costs that equal more than $8 million.
In the filing submitted in New York, the actress is seeking $7,495,526.87 in attorneys’ fees and $539,514.01 in litigation costs and expenses from her legal battle with Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios.
The filing is in the wake of a federal judge who, in June, declared that Lively is “entitled to fees and costs” from her legal fight against Baldoni’s countersuit.
Per Page Six, Judge Lewis J. Liman has now ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to respond to Lively’s request by July 13. After that, Liman will decide on next steps, including how much to award Lively or whether to deny the request completely.
In a statement to the outlet, Lively’s lawyers, Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, reflected on the importance of Lively receiving the money back. “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,” the statement read.
“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,” the statement continued.
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As a reminder, Lively began the legal disputes in December 2024 when she accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and fostering a hostile work environment during production. She further alleged that his production company retaliated against her after she raised concerns about his alleged misconduct.
As a response, Baldoni filed a $400m counter-defamation lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, as well as a $250m lawsuit against the New York Times following an article titled We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.
By May 2026, a settlement had been reached, with the details undisclosed to the public.
“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,” the joint statement at the time read. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors – and all survivors – is a goal that we stand behind.”
“We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms Lively deserved to be heard,” the statement added. “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.”