Judge grants Blake Lively $400,000 of $8M in legal fees she sought in film fight with Justin Baldoni
- A federal judge ruled that Blake Lively is entitled to just over $400,000 in legal fees from Justin Baldoni after their legal dispute over the film 'It Ends With Us.'
- Lively initially sought $8 million in legal costs but was denied the bulk of her request.
- The judge cited California law designed to protect survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination as a reason for the limited reimbursement.
- Both parties claimed victory following the ruling, with Lively's attorneys calling it a historic decision under the California law.
- Baldoni denied the allegations made by Lively, claiming they were fabricated to gain creative control of the film.
Blake Lively will receive just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal costs from actor and director Justin Baldoni after they settled their fight over the production of their 2024 film 'It Ends With Us,' a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
Judge Lewis J. Liman explained in a written decision in Manhattan why Lively was not entitled to the full amount that her lawyers claimed was spent after Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, filed their own claims in response to her December 2024 lawsuit.
Acknowledging Lively and Baldoni had 'waged fierce battle against each other in court,' the judge denied Lively the bulk of legal fees she sought, citing the limits of a California law designed to protect survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory lawsuits.
Thus, the judge ruled, Lively is entitled to $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs. Lawyers on both sides claimed victory for their clients, with Baldoni’s attorney calling the ruling a 'significant victory' for his clients.
法官裁定布莱克·莱弗利在与贾斯廷·巴尔多尼的电影纠纷中获得40万美元的法律费用，而她请求的800万美元未获全额批准
布莱克·莱弗利将在与演员兼导演贾斯廷·巴尔多尼的法律纠纷中获得超过40万美元的法律费用，而她请求的800万美元未获全额批准，法官于周三裁定。
路易斯·J·利曼法官在曼哈顿的书面裁决中解释了莱弗利为何无法获得律师所称的全部费用，因为巴尔多尼及其制作公司Wayfarer Studios LLC在回应她2024年12月的诉讼时提出了自己的诉讼请求。
法官承认莱弗利和巴尔多尼在法庭上“进行了激烈的斗争”，并以加州法律的限制为由拒绝了莱弗利大部分的法律费用请求，该法律旨在保护性骚扰和歧视的幸存者免受报复性诉讼。
因此，法官裁定莱弗利有权获得363,245美元的律师费用和44,206美元的费用。双方律师均宣称为客户赢得了胜利，巴尔多尼的律师称这一裁决是对其客户的“重大胜利”。