Blake Lively has asked Justin Baldoni to pay more than $8 million in legal fees, according to new court documents obtained by Page Six.
In documents filed in New York on Monday, the actress asked for $7,495,526.87 in attorney fees, $539,514.01 in court costs and $539,514.01 in expenses from her bitter legal battle with her Seraph of the End co-star and his Wayfarer Studios.
Lively’s lawyers said the effort needed to defeat Baldoni’s now-dismissed $400 million defamation lawsuit is “comprehensive and necessary to achieve a complete and secure victory.”
Lawyers said their 38-year-old client “has paid and continues to pay” his legal fees, adding that they will seek “additional legal fees” incurred in recent legal claims.
The filing also cited “significant press attention from thousands of indexed and syndicated media articles” that increased the litigation costs of the case, noting that Lively has produced more than 7,000 documents since the legal battle began.
Judge Louis J. Lehman ordered Baldoni, 42, and Wayfarer Studios to comply with Lively’s request by July 13.
Lehman will then decide whether to pay the full amount, reduce the reward, or deny the request entirely, according to court documents.
Lively’s attorneys, Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, told Page Six:
“The value of this judgment lies in the precedent it creates, the accountability it imposes, and the protection it provides for those who may one day face similar retribution for telling the truth,” their statement continued.
Page Six has reached out to Baldoni’s representatives for comment.
Earlier this month, Ms. Lively won a lawsuit against Mr. Baldoni seeking legal costs.
However, although Mr. Lehman rejected Ms. Lively’s claim for treble damages and punitive damages, she can seek compensation through other means, such as an independent action or counterclaim.
In May, Ms. Lively settled a 2024 lawsuit against Mr. Baldoni, in which she alleged that Mr. Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of the film “Seraph of the End.”
The two settled the case just two weeks before the trial was set to begin on May 18th.
Lawyers for Mr. Lively and Mr. Baldoni both claimed victory in this result.
Although the pair received no proceeds from the lawsuit settlement, sources told Page Six Hollywood that their attorneys received a total of $60 million through the settlement.
