Blake Lively Is Asking a Judge to Order Justin Baldoni to Pay $8 Million in Legal Fees. Their Case Already Settled for Zero.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settled their case in May. She walked away with nothing. Now she is asking the court to make him pay her legal bill.

What You Should Know

On July 1, 2026, Lively’s attorneys filed a motion in the Southern District of New York asking Judge Lewis Liman to order Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios to pay $8,035,040.88 in attorneys’ fees and litigation costs, according to Deadline and Variety. The figure covers her legal costs from defeating Baldoni’s $400 million defamation countersuit, which the judge dismissed earlier this year after finding that Lively’s statements about alleged misconduct on the set of “It Ends With Us” were protected by litigation privilege.

The May 2026 settlement between Lively and Baldoni produced no monetary payout to either side, according to Variety. Under California’s Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act, Lively retained the right to seek recovery of legal fees from successfully defeating the defamation suit. The $8 million request covers only those fees - not the costs from her own original harassment and retaliation claims, which were largely dismissed before settlement.

The Public Image Problem

Lively’s attorneys described Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit as a “gross abuse of the legal system” filed to retaliate against her after she reported alleged sexual harassment and misconduct on set, according to NBC News. They argued the suit was brought to “portray her as dishonest, intimidate potential witnesses, fuel a public relations campaign against her and drive up the cost of her legal defense.” Baldoni’s attorney had previously characterized the fee award as covering only “a single claim” and “a case that lasted only a matter of months.”

The fee filing shows that Lively’s lead attorney Michael Gottlieb of Willkie Farr and Gallagher billed at an average discounted rate of $2,187 per hour over 224 hours, totaling approximately $457,000, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The total from both lead firms across 18 months of litigation reached $8 million.

The Receipts

Deadline published the fee request on June 30, 2026, including the precise dollar amount and the legal basis under California law. Variety confirmed the request on July 1, 2026, and noted the zero-payout May 2026 settlement. The Hollywood Reporter published its account on July 2, 2026, providing the hourly billing rates cited in the court documents. NBC News confirmed the quote from Lively’s attorneys on July 1, 2026.

What Happens Next

Baldoni has until July 13, 2026, to file a response to the fee request, according to Deadline. After that, Judge Liman will decide the amount. Baldoni’s company Wayfarer Studios is also fighting a separate insurance dispute over whether its insurers owe coverage for the litigation costs. That case, filed in 2025, remains active. If the judge awards the full $8 million, it would represent the final financial outcome of a legal fight that began in December 2024 when Lively first made her allegations public.

References: Deadline, Blake Lively Wants $8M in Legal Fees From Justin Baldoni | Variety, Blake Lively Seeks $8 Million in Attorney Fees From Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios | Hollywood Reporter, Blake Lively Seeks $8 Million in Legal Fees From Justin Baldoni as Case Winds Down | NBC News, Blake Lively Seeks $8 Million in Legal Fees in Justin Baldoni Dispute