Justin Baldoni's Team Slams Blake Lively for Using the Court System Just for Her 'Own Personal Gain'

Actor Justin Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, painted Blake Lively's award of $400k in legal fees as a legal victory as it was only a fraction of the $8 million (£5.89 million) she requested. Freedman expressed support for the California law used to grant Lively the award, while noting that it was used in ways lawmakers never intended. The attorney also took a shot at Lively, accusing her of using the legal system for 'her own personal gain'.

The legal dispute between Baldoni and Lively stemmed from controversies surrounding the production of It Ends With Us, a film based on the book by Colleen Hoover. Lively had accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during filming, and the two actors had gone to court multiple times in the years since the film released.

Baldoni's Attorney Comments On The Law That Awarded Lively $400k

Freedman spoke about the ruling to TMZ, describing California Civil Code Section 47.1 as 'not a perfect law, but it is an important one designed to protect real survivors, who deserve to see this law tested and perfected in the court of law.'

The law allows a prevailing defendant in certain defamation cases with reports of sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination to seek reasonable attorney fees. While Freedman supports the law's purpose, he questions its use in the case between Lively and Baldoni.

'Notwithstanding the fact that the law was applied in ways it was never intended for, my clients intentionally left Section 47.1 to be ruled on without any appellate rights to appeal as part of the settlement agreement, to prevent either party from overturning the law,' Freedman said.

His statement indicates that Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, will not appeal the ruling regarding Section 47.1.

Judge Lewis J. Liman Awarded Lively $363,245.40 (£267,498.37) in attorney's fees and $44,206.35 (£32,554.10) in costs, bringing the total to $407,451.75 (£300,052.47). This was significantly less than the $8 million she requested by the actress to cover the fees of defending against Baldoni's lawsuit.

Lively's Lawyers Insist Award Ruling Was 'Historic'

Freedman called attention to the fact that the judge rejected 95% of the fees Lively sought, calling her demand of $8 million 'outrageous and unreasonable'. He continued, 'The ruling is a significant victory for my clients and sends a clear message that, no matter how powerful you may be, the courtroom is not a place to take advantage of the law for your own personal gain.'

However, Lively's lawyers had a very different interpretation of the ruling. 'Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties lost their meritless retaliatory $400 million lawsuit, which two different courts held was designed to stifle public criticism and silence Blake Lively and others,' attorneys Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb said to media.

'This first-ever award of fees and costs under this California law is historic, and demonstrates that there are real consequences of bringing retaliatory lawsuits,' they added. 'As we have said from day one, Blake Lively's case was never about money, it was about accountability.'

Baldoni's team focused on how Lively's request was significantly reduced, while her own lawyers highlighted how she received any award at all.

Despite conflicting narratives, Baldoni's case against Lively and The New York Times for defamation was ultimately dismissed, costing him $400 million. Lively's attorneys had previously called his case's dismissal as a 'total victory'.

However, Lively's own lawsuit against Baldoni had 10 out of 13 charges dropped, including the sexual harassment charge she pinned on him.

While news of the award Lively received had only surfaced now, the legal dispute between Baldoni and Lively had already been resolved. In June 2026, all parties waived their rights to future litigation, bringing the case to an end.