Blake Lively seeks USD 8 million in legal fees from Justin Baldoni after ‘It Ends With Us’ controversy |

Blake Lively they want $8 million from the actor and director Justin Baldoni after ending their conflict during the production of their 2024 film ‘It Ends With Us’.Lively’s lawyers disclosed the settlement, which covers about $7.5 million in attorney fees from two law firms that represented her and about $500,000 in other damages, in a court filing Tuesday.

Blake Lively’s lawyers are asking Justin Baldoni to pay

One of Lively’s lawyers, Michael Gottlieb, wrote in a court filing that he was charging her $2,187 an hour – a reduction from her usual $2,795. He said he paid 224 hours to defend himself against Baldoni’s lawsuit, which totaled $457,000 in fees.Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, “used world class litigation tactics designed to destroy Lively’s assets,” his lawyers wrote in their filing.“He could (and offered to reimburse Lively) at any time. If he refuses to do so, he should be ordered to reimburse Lively for all costs, attorney’s fees, and damages he improperly imposed on her,” they wrote.

The judge still approves the money

In allowing Lively to pay back legal fees, the judge cited California’s law that protects victims of harassment and discrimination from retaliatory lawsuits designed to intimidate and silence victims.Liman said that the law requires that the judge must pay the court fees and costs of the defendant if the defamatory interest that was given in response to the case is removed, although the facts of the case have not been established by gathering evidence.Liman said that unless Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios can prove that Lively’s claims are false, he has not produced any evidence to support this.The judge must still approve the proposed amount.

The judge rejects the verdict of triple damages

In their letters to the court, Lively’s lawyers said USD 4.5 million should be paid to the company Gottlieb, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, and about $ 3 million should go to the company Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP.The judge rejected Lively’s claim for treble damages and punitive damages under California law, saying they did not fall within the “well-established federal law to protect the rights of the parties.”

Blake Lively and Justin Baldcreate a conflict resolution

Lively and Baldoni settled last month before a trial began in federal court in Manhattan over Lively’s claims that he tried to damage her public image and credibility after she accused him of sexually assaulting her during the filming of the movie.Baldoni, who directed the dark romantic drama and co-starred with Lively, denied the claims.Lively did not receive any money from the settlement, but a judge later ruled that she was entitled to some of the costs she incurred after Baldoni sued her.

About Blake Lively’s legal dispute with Justin Baldoni

Lively, 38, sued Baldoni, 42, and Wayfarer Studios in December 2024, accusing them of conspiring with the media to deliberately damage her reputation after she privately accused him of harassment on “It Ends With Us.”A few weeks later, Baldoni sued Lively, accusing her husband – the ‘Deadpool’ actor. Ryan Reynolds – and their disparaging and exploitative publisher.Baldoni denied harassing her or starting a smear campaign. He also said that complaints about his character were made by Lively as part of an attempt to improve the film.Judge Lewis J. Liman threw out Baldoni’s appeal last year and dismissed Lively’s defamation claims, saying she could not bring them because she was a freelancer and not an employee of the movie.

About ‘It’s Over With Us’

‘It’s Over With Us’, the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling 2016 novel about a relationship fueled by domestic violence, was released in August 2024 and exceeded box office expectations.