Blake Lively received a partial legal victory on Friday as a federal judge granted her some attorneys’ fees in her legal battle involving Justin Baldoni’s production company. The specific amount of the fees has not yet been determined.
The case, which followed Ms. Lively’s settlement over retaliation claims related to the 2024 movie “It Ends With Us,” resulted in her being awarded legal fees but not the additional financial penalties she sought. Despite not receiving financial compensation from the settlement, Ms. Lively retained the option to pursue a payout through another legal method.
Her lawyers cited an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit filed by Mr. Baldoni last year. They aimed to use a two-year-old California law, designed to discourage defamation suits intended to intimidate harassment claimants, to obtain fees. Ms. Lively alleged that Mr. Baldoni and his associates ran a retaliatory online campaign against her following her complaints of sexual harassment on the movie set.
Mr. Baldoni’s legal team argued that Ms. Lively was not entitled to fees under the California statute. They claimed she had misrepresented innocuous interactions as harassment to gain control over the film’s production.
In a 47-page order, Judge Liman ruled that Lively’s case met the requirements of the law, as her sexual misconduct complaints were made “without malice.” The judge noted that Mr. Baldoni and his associates did not provide evidence indicating Ms. Lively acted with malice. Judge Liman stated that mere allegations do not prove malice without supporting evidence.
The amount Ms. Lively’s lawyers are claiming for attorneys’ fees has not been specified yet. The calculation will likely face objections from Mr. Baldoni’s side.
Ms. Lively had hoped for treble damages and punitive damages in addition to legal fees. However, the legal procedure she followed only allows for fee requests, not damages.
Both parties agreed not to appeal Judge Liman’s decision as part of their settlement.
Representatives for both Ms. Lively and Mr. Baldoni did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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