Judge grants Blake Lively $400,000 of $8M in legal fees she sought in film fight with Justin Baldoni
- A federal judge in Manhattan ruled Wednesday that Blake Lively will receive $400,000 of the $8 million in legal fees she sought from actor and director Justin Baldoni following their settlement over the 2024 film 'It Ends With Us.'
- Judge Lewis J. Liman denied Lively the majority of her requested legal fees, citing limitations of a California law designed to protect sexual harassment survivors from retaliatory lawsuits, which could only apply to her defense against defamation claims rather than all claims Baldoni made.
- Lively was awarded $363,245 in attorneys' fees and $44,206 in costs, representing less than 5% of her original request.
- Lively had sued Baldoni alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, and other misconduct during filming, while Baldoni denied the allegations and claimed Lively fabricated complaints to seize creative control.
- The two parties reached a settlement in early May, weeks before a scheduled trial, with both sides claiming victory in their statements regarding the judge's ruling.
A federal judge in Manhattan ruled Wednesday that Blake Lively will receive approximately $400,000 of the $8 million in legal fees she sought from actor and director Justin Baldoni following their settlement over the 2024 film "It Ends With Us." Judge Lewis J. Liman awarded Lively $363,245 in attorneys' fees and $44,206 in costs, representing less than 5% of her original request.
The judge denied Lively the majority of her requested legal fees, citing limitations of a California law designed to protect sexual harassment survivors from retaliatory lawsuits. Liman ruled that the law could only apply to Lively's defense against defamation claims made by Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, rather than covering all claims Baldoni asserted against her. Despite acknowledging that both parties had "waged fierce battle against each other in court," the judge determined that the protective statute's scope was limited in this case.
Lively had sued Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, and other misconduct during filming. Baldoni denied the allegations, claiming Lively fabricated complaints as part of an effort to seize creative control of the movie. Baldoni and Wayfarer subsequently filed a countersuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, asserting claims of civil extortion, defamation, and economic interference. In early May, weeks before a scheduled trial, the two parties reached a settlement, with both sides claiming victory regarding the judge's ruling on legal fees.
法官裁定布莱克·莱弗利获得800万美元诉讼费中的40万美元
曼哈顿联邦法院法官于周三裁定，布莱克·莱弗利将获得她向演员兼导演贾斯汀·鲍尔多尼索赔的800万美元诉讼费中的约40万美元，此前双方就2024年电影《伤心欲绝》的纠纷达成和解。法官刘易斯·J·利曼裁定莱弗利获得363,245美元的律师费和44,206美元的诉讼成本，仅占其原始要求的不到5%。
法官驳回了莱弗利要求的大部分诉讼费，理由是加州法律的限制，该法律旨在保护性骚扰幸存者免受报复性诉讼。利曼裁定，该法律只能适用于莱弗利对鲍尔多尼及其制片公司Wayfarer Studios提出的诽谤指控的抗辩，而非涵盖鲍尔多尼对她提出的所有指控。尽管法官承认双方都在法庭上"进行了激烈的战斗"，但他认定保护性法规在本案中的适用范围是有限的。
莱弗利于2024年12月起诉鲍尔多尼，指控他在拍摄期间进行性骚扰、报复和违反合同等不当行为。鲍尔多尼否认这些指控，声称莱弗利捏造投诉是为了夺取电影的创意控制权。鲍尔多尼和Wayfarer随后对莱弗利及其丈夫瑞恩·雷诺兹提起反诉，指控民事敲诈、诽谤和经济干扰。5月初，距离原定审判日期仅两周时，双方达成和解，对法官关于诉讼费的裁决都声称胜利。