Justin Baldoni has hit back at Blake Lively's request for him to pay her $8 million (£6 million) legal fees, calling on a judge to deny or substantially reduce the amount. The legal dispute stems from their bitter lawsuit, which was settled out of court in April.
Background of the Legal Battle
The It Ends with Us co-stars had been embroiled in a legal war since December 2024. Lively accused Baldoni, who also directed the film, of sexual harassment and claimed he orchestrated a coordinated attack on her reputation after the movie's release. Baldoni, 42, vehemently denied the allegations and countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for defamation and extortion.
In April, both parties reached an out-of-court settlement, avoiding a trial. However, the conflict continues as Baldoni now challenges Lively's demand for attorneys' fees.
Baldoni's Legal Filing
Baldoni's legal team filed a request on Monday, arguing that Lively's fee request lacks credible evidence. The filing states: "Lively fails to meet her burden to present credible evidence showing that the fees and costs she seeks to recover are reasonable and, accordingly, her fee motion should be denied in its entirety." The team also suggested that if any fees are awarded, they should be reduced to $181,622.70, referencing what The Times received after a similar motion.
Lively is seeking $8 million in attorneys' fees plus $539,514.01 in costs and expenses. Baldoni's lawyers contend that this amount is excessive and not justified.
Public Statements and Healing
Since the settlement, Lively has kept a low profile and notably did not attend Taylor Swift's wedding to Travis Kelce, despite Swift being godmother to her children. Meanwhile, Baldoni and his wife Emily spoke publicly for the first time since the legal battle, describing their journey of healing.
In a nearly five-minute video, Baldoni said: "We have not spoken publicly for the better part of the last two years... but we just felt like every time we went to make a video like this, something was telling us not to." He added that they wanted to let the justice system run its course.
Emily Baldoni expressed "immense gratitude" but acknowledged the pain they experienced, saying: "There has been a lot of trauma for us to move through as a family." She also questioned how such events could happen "disguised as a fight for women."
The couple concluded by thanking their supporters and emphasizing that healing is not linear.
