It ends with $407K in Blake Lively’s $8M litigation fee request as judge cites 'blunderbuss approach'
Actress Blake Lively leaves court in New York on Feb. 11, 2026. She came to the courthouse to see whether her lawsuit alleging sexual harassment on the set of the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends With Us” could be settled before a May trial. (Photo by Seth Wenig/The Associated Press)
A New York federal judge in actress Blake Lively’s bid to recover attorney fees and court costs from actor Justin Baldoni awarded Lively $407,452 on Wednesday—much less than the $8 million that she had sought, citing flawed paperwork and a “blunderbuss approach.”
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman of the Southern District of New York agreed with Baldoni, Lively’s It Ends With Us co-star and director, and his Wayfarer Studios that she was only entitled to reasonable fees and necessary costs to defend against the defamation—not all attorney fees and costs incurred during the entire litigation.
Lively requested $7.5 million in attorney fees and $540,000 for expenses. Her Willkie Farr & Gallagher team billed her about $4.5 million; her Manatt, Phelps & Phillips attorneys cost just under $3 million, according to coverage by Law360.
Liman awarded Lively $363,245.40 in attorney fees and $44,206.35 in expenses. The judge referenced California Civil Code Section 47.1. The statute, which he called “ambiguous,” doesn’t directly address fee scope for the defendant who prevails in a defamation case.
Liman stated, Lively’s “blunderbuss approach leaves the court no way to determine precisely how many hours were reasonably incurred on common issues.”
See also:
‘Extremely excessive’ research, fees alleged in ‘It Ends With Us’ litigation
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