Blake Lively has secured a partial victory in the long-running legal dispute with Justin Baldoni, as a judge ordered Wayfarer Studios to pay her legal fees for defending against a defamation suit that was dismissed. The ruling, issued by Judge Lewis Liman in a New York federal court, marks the final chapter of the case after the co-stars settled all other disputes in May.
Judge Liman ruled that Lively is entitled to recover her defence costs under a 2023 California law designed to protect sexual abuse accusers from retaliatory defamation lawsuits. However, he denied her motion for triple damages and punitive damages, finding that such remedies are not available under federal law.
The dispute stemmed from Lively’s allegations that Baldoni, who directed the 2024 film It Ends With Us, sexually harassed her on set and orchestrated an online smear campaign after she complained. Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios countersued for defamation, but that suit was dismissed a year ago on the grounds that Lively’s allegations were protected by litigation privilege.
Lively then sought attorney fees, triple damages, and punitive damages under the California law. The motion was pending when the case settled in May, with Lively receiving nothing for her claims. As part of the settlement, both sides agreed to abide by the judge’s ruling on fees and not to appeal.
In a statement, Lively’s attorneys declared victory, saying the ruling confirms she brought her claims in good faith and without malice. They added that the settlement preserves her right to seek damages through other procedural mechanisms. Baldoni’s attorney countered that Lively failed to obtain damages and was only awarded limited fees for a single claim, maintaining that there was no harassment or smear campaign.
