Hollywood actress Blake Lively has been awarded approximately $400,000 in attorneys' fees and court costs by a federal judge, following her legal dispute with 'It Ends With Us' co-star and director Justin Baldoni. The ruling, issued in Los Angeles, marks one of the final chapters in an 18-month legal battle that the two parties settled in May 2025, narrowly avoiding a federal trial.

What the Judge Ruled

Judge Lewis Liman awarded Lively $363,000 in attorneys' fees and an additional $44,000 in court costs — roughly half of the total she had sought. The fees were specifically tied to her defence against Baldoni's failed defamation suit. In his ruling, Liman found that while the attorneys' billing rates were 'not unreasonable' given the case's complexity and high stakes, the number of hours for which Lively sought reimbursement was deemed excessive.

A Fraction of What Lively Sought

Lively had originally requested $7.5 million in attorneys' fees and a further $540,000 in court costs — a figure that the court substantially reduced. Notably, the amount awarded to Lively is roughly double what the New York Times received for defending itself against a separate defamation action brought by Baldoni.

Competing Interpretations of the Verdict

Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, framed the outcome as a decisive win for his clients. '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,' Freedman said, pointing out that Lively received only 5% of what she had requested.

Lively's attorneys, Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb, offered a contrasting reading, arguing that the decision demonstrates 'that there are real consequences of bringing retaliatory lawsuits.'

Background: The Settlement and What Remained

Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement in May 2025, ending their legal confrontation before it could proceed to a federal trial that had been scheduled for later that month. The sole outstanding matter at the time of settlement was Lively's motion for attorneys' fees — specifically for costs incurred in defending against Baldoni's defamation claim, which ultimately failed. The ruling on that motion has now been issued, closing the last open legal question between the two.

What Comes Next

With the fee ruling now in place, the litigation between Lively and Baldoni appears to be fully resolved. The case drew sustained public and industry attention throughout its course, raising broader questions about power dynamics on film sets and the use of defamation suits as legal leverage. How both parties navigate their post-settlement public profiles — and any professional fallout — remains to be seen.