Judge Awards Blake Lively Legal Fees but No More Damages in Dispute over 'It Ends With Us' Film
The judge found Lively can recover defense costs under a California law aimed at retaliatory defamation suits, but rejected triple and punitive damages.
- On Friday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ordered Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to pay Blake Lively's legal fees, ruling she acted without malice in her sexual harassment complaint.
- Lively's motion invoked California Civil Code Section 47.1, a 2023 law designed to shield survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory defamation lawsuits when reporting misconduct in good faith.
- Judge Liman denied Lively's request for treble and punitive damages, explaining the California statute 'does not create an end run around the entire set of carefully crafted federal procedural rules.'
- Lively's attorneys stated the decision confirms she 'brought her claims in good faith,' while the settlement agreement expressly preserves her rights to pursue damages through alternative procedural mechanisms.
- This order resolves the final legal issue between the co-stars following their May settlement, clarifying how Section 47.1 functions to compensate survivors defending themselves against meritless defamation suits.
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80 Articles
Justin Baldoni attorney rips Blake Lively after judge awards limited attorney fees
Justin Baldoni's lawyer issued a scathing statement after a judge ruled that Blake Lively was entitled to recover attorney and litigation fees.Judge Lewis J. Liman said in a written decision that Lively can recover legal fees and costs related to her defense against a countersuit Baldoni brought against her after she sued him in December 2024. The judge rejected her claims to triple any damages and pursue punitive damages.On Friday, Bryan Freedm…
After settling her case out of court, Blake Lively demanded damages from Justin Baldoni. A court has now decided.
Judge orders Justin Baldoni to pay Blake Lively’s legal fees
NEW YORK — Just over a month after settling, the seemingly endless “It Ends With Us” legal saga might finally be over as a federal New York judge has ordered Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties to pay Blake Lively’s legal fees. While Judge Lewis J. Liman on Friday signed off the “Gossip Girl” star’s request for the Wayfarer Parties to cover her legal fees, he denied her attempt at ...
Blake Lively Denied Punitive Damages But Justin Baldoni Ordered To Pay Legal Fees: Report
Blake Lively was denied a bid for punitive and treble damages against It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni in a Los Angeles court ruling this month, but the judge ordered Baldoni to cover her legal fees and litigation costs linked to his failed counterclaim, according to People Magazine. The decision comes after months of bitter legal wrangling between Blake Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 42, over their work together on the troubled 2024 film adapt…
Judge orders Justin Baldoni to pay Blake Lively’s legal fees as legal fight nears end
A federal judge granted Blake Lively attorneys fees tied to Justin Baldoni’s unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against her, but denied her request for additional damages, potentially closing the final chapter in the bitter “It Ends With Us” legal fight.
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