Actor Justin Baldoni has been ordered to pay his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively more than $400,000 in court and legal expenses.
The ruling appears to resolve the final remaining legal dispute between the two actors following a multi-million-dollar defamation lawsuit filed by Baldoni.
A judge awarded Lively $363,245.40 in attorneys' fees and an additional $44,206.35 in court expenses, bringing her total compensation to $407,451.75.
Legal Fee Dispute
The final award falls significantly short of the $8 million Lively had initially requested from her co-star to cover her legal fees.
Lively argued that Baldoni owed her $7,495,526.87 in attorney fees alongside $539,514.01 in defense expenses incurred while fighting his lawsuit.
Baldoni rejected the claim, contending that the requested figure was excessively inflated and arguing that he should pay a six-figure sum rather than a seven-figure sum.
Blake Lively is an American actress known for her roles in television and film, while Justin Baldoni is an actor and director who directed and starred alongside her in the romantic drama It Ends With Us.
Lawsuit Dismissal and Settlement
The fee dispute stems from a defamation lawsuit Baldoni filed against Lively and The New York Times, which a judge dismissed in June 2025.
Although the judge threw out Baldoni's lawsuit, the court determined that Lively was entitled to compensation for expenses incurred to counter the legal action.
The fee determination follows an out-of-court settlement reached prior to a trial scheduled for May, which was expected to be particularly contentious.
Neither side paid any money as part of the overall settlement, and Lively agreed to withdraw her sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni.
Following the settlement, the parties released a joint statement acknowledging that the legal process presented challenges and that the concerns expressed by Lively deserved to be heard.
The statement added that both performers remained firmly committed to ensuring workplaces free from improper behavior and unproductive environments.
