Blake Lively is pressing for financial relief from Justin Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios even after reaching a settlement that resolved the remaining elements of their litigation, her attorneys said in a Manhattan federal court filing on Thursday.
In the filing, Lively asks the court to require Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to pay her attorneysâ fees and damages tied to what her lawyers characterize as a "retaliatory" defamation lawsuit that Baldoni filed and that a judge dismissed last June. The filing quotes legal counsel in saying: "As the 'prevailing defendant,' Ms. Lively is entitled not just to attorneys' fees and costs, but also to compensatory damages tripled, and punitive damages."
The legal fight dates to December 2024, when Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during the shoot for the film "It Ends With Us," a movie that addresses domestic violence among its themes. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman dismissed Livelyâs harassment claims and dismissed all claims against Baldoni on April 2, while leaving open Livelyâs ability to pursue a retaliation claim.
Both sides announced on Monday that they had reached a settlement to resolve the remaining matters in court. Still, Lively's lawyers say that the settlement and the defendantsâ waiver of their right to appeal meant that "Justin Baldoni and every individual defendant now face personal liability for abusing the legal system to silence and intimidate Ms. Lively." That statement was issued jointly by counsel Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson.
Baldoniâs lawyer, Bryan Freedman, provided a separate statement asserting that Lively opted to settle because she expected to lose. He described what remains as "a pending request for fees based on a very narrow issue that has been with the court since September."
Earlier characterizations of the settlement were sharply different: Lively's attorneys hailed Monday's agreement as a "resounding victory" for her, while Freedman called it a "total victory" for Baldoni.
Lively has invoked a 2023 California statute intended to shield sexual harassment complainants from retaliatory defamation claims by those they accuse. The petition for fees and damages relies on that law as the basis for compensation following what her counsel describes as an improper retaliatory suit.
Baldoni had previously sued for $400 million, alleging that Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and others sought to damage his reputation and seize control of the film. Judge Liman later determined that Baldoni had not established that Lively defamed him, and that any allegedly defamatory statements Lively made to a California civil rights agency were protected by privilege.
"It Ends With Us" featured Lively in the role of a flower shop owner who marries a neurosurgeon played by Baldoni. The film went on to gross more than $351 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
Legal posture and next steps
With the settlement of the remaining claims, Lively's outstanding court action centers on recovering fees and damages tied to the dismissed defamation suit. The court will now consider her request under applicable law, including the 2023 California statute she cites.
At this stage, the dispute remains procedural and monetary in nature: the underlying harassment claims were dismissed by the judge, a retaliation claim was preserved earlier this year, and the surviving issue now is the compensation Lively seeks after the settlement.