Actress Blake Lively has been granted partial relief by a US court in her legal dispute with actor and director Justin Baldoni over claims linked to the 2024 film ‘It Ends With Us’, according to a ruling delivered on Friday in a case that has now largely been settled.
A US judge ruled that Lively may recover some legal costs related to her defence against a countersuit filed by Baldoni after she initiated legal action in December 2024. However, the court rejected her request for punitive damages and other enhanced relief under California law.
Judge Lewis J Liman stated that Lively could recover legal fees and costs connected to defending herself against Baldoni’s countersuit, citing a California statute aimed at protecting individuals from retaliatory lawsuits intended to intimidate or silence claims of harassment or discrimination.
The ruling noted that Baldoni would have had to demonstrate malice to avoid the fee award, but the court found no evidence supporting such a claim.
However, the judge denied Lively’s request for triple damages and punitive compensation, stating that these did not fall within federal procedural rules governing such relief. The bulk of the dispute between the two parties was settled last month, shortly before a trial was due to begin.
In statements following the ruling, both sides described the outcome as a victory. Lively’s legal team said the decision confirmed she acted in good faith and without malice, calling her the prevailing defendant.
Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman, however, disputed this interpretation, saying, “Once again, she failed,” and adding that reputations had been unfairly damaged during the legal battle. He maintained there had been no sexual harassment, retaliation or smear campaign.
The dispute began in late 2024 when Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation, alleging an attempt to damage her public image. Baldoni denied the claims and filed a countersuit accusing Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.
Both the original countersuit and Lively’s sexual harassment claims were dismissed by the court in separate rulings.
‘It Ends With Us’, based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel about a relationship involving domestic violence, was released in August 2024 and exceeded box office expectations.
