Blake Lively was awarded $400,000 in attorneys’ fees in her epic legal saga with Justin Baldoni, according to court documents obtained by TheWrap on Wednesday. This is a hefty sum, but far below the $8 million the “It Ends With Us” star sought in the trial with her former co-star/director.
These fees mark the end of the pair’s various trials, reimbursing Lively for Baldoni’s failed defamation suit against her. Lively and Baldoni’s 18-month battle concluded in May, settling before they were pushed to a federal trial that would’ve started later the same month.
The ruling from Judge Lewis J. Liman states that “There is no doubt that Lively is entitled to reimbursement for some of the fact-gathering and discovery processes” and that “Lively is entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees.”
The key word there seems to be “reasonable.” The court ruled that Lively’s request would be both granted in part and denied in part, with Baldoni owing only $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206.35 in other costs, according to the New York-based judge. This comes short of the $7.5 million in attorneys’ fees and $540,000 in costs that Lively initially sought.
This comes after Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios was ordered to pay The New York Times $171,616.20 in damages following its failed defamation suit in July.
“The end product – the movie ‘It Ends With Us’ – is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life,” representatives for both parties said in a joint statement when they settled in May. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors – and all survivors – is a goal that we stand behind. We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.
“We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”
Earlier in July, Baldoni posted a video to Instagram describing the lengthy legal battle between himself and his former star. Joined by his wife Emily, Baldoni discussed the “painful” legal dispute that he had spoken publicly about “for the better part of the last two years.”
“It’s not because we haven’t had anything to say,” he said. “Because lord knows we have, but it just felt like every time we went to make a video like this, we wanted to speak, something was telling us not to. It just didn’t feel like the right time, and we were talking about it and feeling into it and praying about it.”
