Blake Lively Awarded $407,452 in Legal Fees After Justin Baldoni Defamation Case Dismissal

A federal judge has awarded Blake Lively $407,451.75 in legal fees and costs after dismissing part of Justin Baldoni’s defamation case against her.

U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled on Aug. 26 that Lively could recover $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206.35 in costs. The amount is far below the more than $8 million she had requested.

Lively had argued that the legal work involved in defending against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios’ defamation claims was extensive and closely connected to the rest of the case. But Liman said she could recover only reasonable expenses directly related to defending the defamation claim.

The judge said Lively’s lawyers’ hourly rates were reasonable given the case’s complexity and high-profile nature. However, he found the number of hours billed was excessive. He also ruled that time spent on media relations and press coverage could not be reimbursed because it was not necessary to defend the defamation claim.

Baldoni’s lawyers had asked the court to reject or significantly reduce Lively’s request, arguing that her attorneys had overstaffed the case and billed more than 7,000 hours across 82 people.

Lively’s attorneys called the award “historic,” saying it showed there can be consequences for bringing retaliatory lawsuits. Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, said the ruling was a victory for his clients and highlighted the sharp reduction from Lively’s original request.

Lively and Wayfarer settled their broader legal dispute in May, shortly before the case was scheduled to go to trial.