Although Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settled their legal dispute back in May, their skirmish didn’t end there. Lively (39) subsequently sought damages and legal fees from Baldoni (42), with his legal team eventually arguing against that. Overall, Lively requested almost $8 million in legal fees, and a judge recently ruled in her favor. The sum Baldoni has been ordered to pay, however, is far less than Lively’s request. Now, insiders are sharing claims about the actress’ supposed frustration with the court’s decision.
The judge ordered that Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, pay Lively $400,000 in legal fees and costs of the near-$8 million total she was seeking. As of this writing, the Another Simple Favor star has not released a formal statement on the court’s decision. However, one insider who spoke with Rob Shuter for his Naughty But Nice substack, recently claimed Lively was “angry” and “frustrated” with how everything turned out. That individual also dropped additional allegations about Lively’s mindset:
Blake is angry, frustrated and absolutely convinced she deserved more. She thought she could appeal, keep fighting and eventually get the massive victory she wanted. She still doesn’t understand that sometimes the smartest move is to stop.
Per previously released legal documents, the Rhythm Section actress’ lawyers argued that the $8 million request was justified. They asserted that their efforts to contend with Baldoni’s suit were “comprehensive and necessary to achieve the complete win that was secured.” On top of that, they reasoned that the high-profile nature of the case also constituted a higher cost. All the while, it was also alleged that other lawyers were “rolling their eyes” over that request due to how large it was. Still, Lively allegedly feels slighted:
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She wanted millions because she wanted a number that screamed vindication. Instead, she got a fraction of what she demanded, and she’s humiliated.
Insiders now seem to be of the opinion that Blake Lively should accept the judge’s decision and move on. At the same time, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, has reportedly been supportive, though another source alleges that the Deadpool star also has a strong point of view on the situation at this point:
Ryan has been incredibly supportive, but even he’s telling her: enough. He wants their lives back. He understands that continuing to fight every battle can become its own defeat. Blake still believes walking away means losing.
All of this comes over a month after the release of Justin Baldoni’s viral social media video. In that clip, both he and his wife, Emily, addressed the legal battle (which began over a year and a half ago) and thanked fans for their support. While the Baldonis didn’t mention Lively’s request at the time, it was alleged that Justin’s finances would reportedly be hit hard if he had to pay the full amount.
This entire situation began in December 2024, at which point Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni for alleged sexual harassment on the set of It Ends with Us and for reportedly launching a smear campaign against her. Baldoni denied the claims from Lively, who eventually sued him and others on the basis of those allegations. The Jane the Virgin alum then countersued Lively and more for $400 million for alleged extortion, defamation and more. Ultimately, the settlement came after legal victories and losses for both parties.
Right now, it remains to be seen whether Justin Baldoni and co. might take another course of legal or action or just proceed with paying the fees and costs. Analysts can also only speculate as to what Blake Lively’s next move might be.
