Justin Baldoni challenges Blake Lively's request for over $8 million in legal fees
In a court filing, actor Justin Baldoni and his legal team argue that Blake Lively's claim for more than $8 million in attorneys' fees is excessive and lack supporting evidence.
Actor Justin Baldoni has filed a motion contesting Blake Lively's request that he pay more than $8 million to cover her legal expenses in their ongoing litigation. Court documents obtained by a media outlet show Baldoni’s attorneys contend the fee request is "over-inclusive" and includes costs unrelated to the defamation case, such as research into her own potential liability.
The filing, submitted by attorney Bryan Freedman, asks the judge to deny Lively’s request outright or, alternatively, to reduce any awarded amount to a six-figure sum. Baldoni’s team argues that Lively has not provided credible evidence justifying the amount sought and that the claim exceeds what is permissible under the statute governing fee recovery.
A source close to Lively said the fee dispute centers on differing interpretations of the statutory language, which refers to fees recoverable for a "successful defense of the litigation" rather than a specific claim. The source added that the cases were consolidated by the judge, a fact Lively does not dispute.
The fee dispute follows a May settlement that ended the remaining portions of the years-long legal battle, after a judge previously dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million defamation lawsuit and awarded Lively attorneys' fees for defeating that claim.