Court Orders Justin Baldoni to Pay Blake Lively's Legal Fees, Denies Additional Damages

A U.S. district judge on Friday ordered that actor Justin Baldoni pay the legal costs incurred by actress Blake Lively in their ongoing defamation dispute, while rejecting her request for additional damages. The decision follows a settlement reached last month in which Baldoni gave up his right to appeal a prior dismissal of his $400 million lawsuit against Lively. The settlement did not include monetary compensation, but it allowed Lively to seek reimbursement of her legal fees under a California statute that protects sexual-harassment victims from retaliatory defamation claims.

The judge noted that the law provides a narrow exception to standard litigation procedures and does not extend to compensatory or punitive damages. “Compensatory and punitive damages do not fall within that exception,” the ruling stated.

Lively’s attorneys, led by Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, will now submit a detailed billing record for the court to determine the fee amount. In a statement, the lawyers said the ruling confirms that Lively acted in good faith and without malice. > “Today’s ruling makes it clear that Ms. Lively brought her claims in good faith, that there was no evidence she acted with malice, and that she is the prevailing defendant,” they said.

The statement added that the outcome demonstrates how the new statute creates a pathway for survivors to hold accountable those who use online attacks and retaliatory lawsuits to silence them. While the court denied Lively’s request for treble and punitive damages, it left open the possibility for her to pursue further relief in a separate action against Baldoni or the production company Wayfarer, which has not commented.