The legal drama between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively continues, with another loss for the actor.
The “Jane the Virgin” star and the actress famously clashed in 2024 over allegations of a smear campaign, sexual harassment, and a toxic workplace. These claims sparked a back-and-forth court battle between the “It Ends With Us” co-stars.
Although Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively eventually settled, the actor is still on the hook for her legal fees and those of The New York Times. The publication was dragged into the drama for covering Lively’s sexual harassment allegations.
After The New York Times dropped its article about Lively’s lawsuit against Baldoni, the latter countersued them plus the actress’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, for defamation. He demanded $400 million from Lively and Reynolds and $250 million from the publication.
The Times responded by suing Baldoni under New York’s anti-SLAPP law, asking for “compensatory and punitive damages.” They accused him and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, of “harassing, intimidating, punishing or otherwise maliciously inhibiting the free exercise of speech” with his suit.
A judge eventually tossed Baldoni’s lawsuit and made him responsible for the publication’s legal fees. TMZ recently obtained legal documents stating the actor’s Wayfarer Studios has been ordered to pay The Times $171,616 in legal expenses.
The Actor Doesn’t See The Outcome As A Loss
5Although his defamation lawsuits against The Times and Lively were dismissed, a source close to Baldoni’s production company claimed he didn’t see the outcome as a loss. They explained that going up against a news giant like The Times was something many haven’t done in modern times.
However, Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios’ actions helped them prove that the allegations published by The Times were “blatant falsehoods.” The source stressed that “the case was lost on journalistic privilege, not on the facts,” and counted the truth as a victory. In their words:
“Pursuing the case was one of the only ways to bring the evidence into the public record, challenge the hideously false narrative being advanced by Blake Lively, and expose the serious inconsistencies at the heart of her claims.”
Blake Lively Slammed For Attempting To ‘Extort Millions’ In Attorney Fees
5The Wayfarer source also took shots at the “Gossip Girl” actress, claiming the truth “shows how completely out of reality Lively’s attempt to extort millions out of Wayfarer for attorney fees for just one portion of their defamation countersuit really is.”
As stated, Baldoni and Wayfarer were on the hook for The Times and Lively’s attorney fees. The Blast reported days earlier that the actor’s team had finally responded to the actress’s request for a little more than $8 million. The massive bill did not sit right with his attorney, Bryan Freedman.
The legal representative filed their response on July 13, asking the court to deny Lively’s bid completely, or at least “substantially reduce” the amount. Freedman argued that the sum Lively demanded was “excessive,” arguing that she had too much staff and billable hours.
The ‘It Ends With Us’ Co-Stars Clash On The Huge Sum
5When Lively’s team dropped her attorney fees, they claimed the number was totaled after receiving discounts from her legal representatives. She noted she owed $7,495,526.87 in attorney’s fees and an additional $539,514.01 for other legal expenses.
The total $8,035,040.85 sum included the bill from two different lawyers from different law firms, Michael Gottlieb from Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Esra Hudson from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. Baldoni’s attorney argued that Lively did not need as much staff as she used.
He also claimed the two lawyers charged excessive rates and called out the actress for failing to include the necessary credentials to justify the rates recorded. The arguments did not end there, with Freedman comparing Lively’s massive attorney fees to The Times’ $181,000 request.
Justin Baldoni Changes Residence For Peace Amid Blake Lively Battle
5The attorney fees drama between Lively and Baldoni occurred amid the actor’s relocation to Nashville. The Blast reported that the entertainer and his family packed up their belongings in Ojai, California, for a new environment away from the controversy.
An insider explained that the TV personality and his wife wanted to raise their two children “away from the noise” and no longer felt secure at their old home. They blamed the couple’s lack of security on Lively’s legal team for allegedly doxxing their address twice.
Weeks before the couple’s Nashville relocation made waves, The Blast shared that Baldoni had broken his silence on the “It Ends with Us” legal drama with his wife. The duo noted they were grateful to those who supported them throughout the ordeal, but the love did not “negate the injustice and the pain” they endured.
Will Justin Baldoni pay Blake Lively’s attorney fees?
