Blake Lively has secured a partial victory in her legal dispute with Justin Baldoni, as a judge ordered Wayfarer Studios to pay her attorneys' fees for defending against a failed defamation suit. The ruling, issued by Judge Lewis Liman, found that Lively was entitled to recover her defence costs under a 2023 California law designed to protect sexual abuse accusers from retaliatory defamation lawsuits.
However, Judge Liman denied Lively's motion for triple damages and punitive damages, ruling that these remedies are not available under federal law. The decision came after the 'It Ends With Us' co-stars settled all other disputes in their protracted legal war two weeks before a scheduled trial in New York federal court. The only remaining issue was Lively's fee motion under the Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act.
Lively had accused Baldoni, who also directed the 2024 film, of sexually harassing her on set and retaliating with an online smear campaign. Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios countersued for defamation, alleging Lively fabricated harassment claims to seize control of the film. Baldoni's lawsuit was dismissed a year ago, with the judge finding Lively's allegations were protected by litigation privilege.
In a statement, Lively's attorneys declared victory, saying the ruling confirms she brought her claims in good faith and without malice. They noted that the settlement agreement preserves Lively's rights to seek damages through other procedural mechanisms. Baldoni's attorney countered that 10 of Lively's 13 claims were dismissed before settlement, and she received nothing for dropping the remaining three. He argued that Lively failed to obtain damages under the California law, calling the award limited and the case brief.
