Justin Baldoni talks about his legal battle with Blake Lively
Justin Baldoni and his wife Emily posted a five-minute video on Instagram thanking their supporters.
Justin Baldoni is pushing back against Blake Lively’s demand for more than $8 million in legal fees.
The actor, 42, and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, disputed Lively’s earlier claims on July 13, saying they should be “totally dismissed” or “at the very least” “substantially” reduced, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday.
In June, Ms. Lively, 38, asked a New York federal court to order Ms. Baldoni to pay her a total of $8,035,040.88 in connection with a previously dismissed defamation lawsuit. She said she has “paid and continues to pay” the bill for the lawsuit, which includes nearly $7.5 million in fees and more than $500,000 in costs.
In her response, Baldoni called the request “nothing more than a typical fee motion,” adding that Lively’s legal team’s fees, which she revealed could reach up to $2,187 an hour, were “too high.”
The charges are related to a $400 million lawsuit that Baldoni dismissed in January 2025 against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and the New York Times on charges of civil extortion, defamation, and falsehoods. The lawsuit comes a month after Lively sued Baldoni and Wayfarer, accusing them of sexually harassing her on the set of Seraph of the End and helping orchestrate a smear campaign against her.
Mr. Baldoni’s latest filing uses a separate request by The New York Times for $181,622.70 in attorney fees to “dismiss the very same defamation claim” as a reason to believe the number of “Gossip Girl” alums is exorbitant.
He also claims that this “exorbitant amount” “excessively includes” fees related to other areas of his former co-stars’ extensive legal battle.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Lively and Baldoni for comment.
On May 4, the parties reached a settlement agreement ending “all differences and disputes” and “irrevocably waiving any and all appellate rights” related to any of the prior litigation. A month earlier, Judge Louis Lehman dismissed all but three of Lively’s 16 counts in a breach of contract and retaliation lawsuit she filed in December 2024.
The only remaining case revolved around her claim for all compensatory damages provided under a California law intended to protect harassers from retaliatory defamation lawsuits. On June 12, Mr. Liman ordered Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Wayfarer to pay Ms. Lively’s attorneys’ fees and fees, but her claim for damages was denied.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battle ends
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached a settlement after nearly a year and a half of legal disputes.
Lively’s attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson responded to the news in a statement to USA TODAY at the time.
“Thanks to this landmark decision, those considering using litigation as a means of intimidation now know the consequences of filing a lawsuit,” they said. “The value of this ruling lies in the precedent it sets, the accountability it imposes, and the protection it provides for those who may one day face similar retribution for telling the truth.”
On July 7, the Jane the Virgin actor and his wife Emily, 41, posted a long video on Instagram, speaking out for the first time since their reconciliation.
“We are healing. And if you’ve ever been through something traumatic, you know that healing isn’t linear. It looks different every day,” Baldoni said, noting that the past few years have shown that what really matters is the couple: their children, their friends, their community, their faith.
“There were so many of you who spoke for us when we didn’t have a voice,” he continued. “Many of you had insight, many of you used your intuition, and you trusted that. And you took the time to fight for us. I don’t feel like I can thank you enough.”
Contributor: Kimi Robinson and anthony robredo, america today
