Actor Blake Lively has asked a US court to order Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to pay nearly $8 million in legal fees and expenses she says she incurred while defending herself against Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit.
The request comes shortly after the court dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million defamation case against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
According to Variety, the legal dispute began after Lively accused her It Ends With Us co-star and director of sexually harassing her during the film’s production and orchestrating an online campaign against her after she raised the allegations.
Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios denied the claims and alleged that Lively and Reynolds used false harassment accusations to gain control of the film. The court later dismissed the defamation lawsuit, ruling that Lively’s allegations were protected under the litigation privilege.
Although Lively later withdrew her own lawsuit against Baldoni and others before the trial began, the settlement did not include any financial compensation. However, the court allowed her to continue seeking reimbursement for the legal costs of defending the defamation case.
Variety reported that Judge Lewis Liman ruled earlier this month that Lively could pursue attorney fees under a 2023 California law designed to protect people who report sexual abuse from retaliatory defamation lawsuits. The judge, however, rejected her request for damages.
Court documents filed on Monday show that Lively’s legal team claimed she had been billed approximately $7.5 million in legal fees, with hourly rates reaching $2,187, in addition to more than $540,000 in litigation-related expenses. Her lawyers argued that awarding the fees would help discourage retaliatory legal action against people who come forward with allegations.
In the court filing, Lively’s lawyers stated that the lawsuit amounted to “a gross abuse of the legal system”. They argued it was never intended to succeed in court but instead sought to portray Lively as dishonest, intimidate witnesses and media organisations, and discourage others from speaking out.
Following the judge’s earlier ruling, Lively’s lead attorneys, Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, welcomed the decision. They said the ruling sent a clear message that those who use lawsuits to intimidate others could face consequences.
They also said the decision established an important legal precedent, strengthened accountability and offered protection to people who may face similar retaliation for speaking out.
Earlier this month, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman criticised the ruling, saying Lively had secured attorney fees for only one limited claim in a case that lasted just a few months.
He also argued that, after her sexual harassment and defamation claims were dismissed, Lively sought damages by relying on a California law intended to protect genuine victims, but ultimately failed.
Baldoni’s legal team has not commented on Lively’s latest request for attorney fees. They will have an opportunity to respond before the court decides whether to award the requested amount.
