Blake Lively’s Relentless Pursuit Against Baldoni Ends in ‘Embarrassing’ Result: Sues for $3 Million Legal Fees, Receives Less Than 6%

Hollywood actress Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni—the director and male lead of the film “It Ends With Us”—have reached a key verdict in their year-and-a-half-long legal battle. A judge in the federal court of Manhattan, USA, recently ruled that Blake could recover approximately USD 407,000 (around MYR 1.64 million) in attorney fees and related litigation expenses. The case stemmed from Blake accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment during filming and launching a wave of online retaliation against her; Baldoni’s side, in turn, countersued for defamation. Although both parties reached a settlement in May this year, with Blake not receiving any monetary compensation, she retained the right to seek the legal costs associated with the defamation case.

The core of this ruling is based on a 2023 California law designed to prevent the use of defamation lawsuits to silence victims of sexual harassment. The judge determined that Blake’s allegations were not made with “malice,” qualifying her to recover attorney fees. However, the judge applied a particularly strict standard of calculation, only supporting direct legal costs related to the defense against the defamation suit and excluding other expenses such as media and public relations fees. As a result, the amount Blake ultimately received was less than 6% of her original claim of USD 8 million (around MYR 32.226 million), and she is prevented by legal procedures from seeking compensatory or punitive damages.

After the ruling was announced, the two sides interpreted the outcome in completely different ways. Blake’s legal team issued a statement emphasizing that the lawsuit was intended to expose retaliatory online opinion manipulation and to set a precedent for accountability, maintaining that the case was “never about money.” Baldoni’s counsel, on the other hand, criticized the original claim as highly unreasonable and viewed the final decision as a “major victory” for their side, believing the court sent a clear message against exploiting the legal system for personal gain. This headline-grabbing Hollywood legal and PR battle has ultimately concluded with a much lower-than-expected award of attorney fees.