NEW YORK — A federal judge ruled Friday that actress Blake Lively is entitled to recover attorneys’ fees from Justin Baldoni and his production company after successfully defending against their defamation lawsuit, but denied her request for additional damages, court records showed.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman issued the decision in Manhattan federal court in the long-running dispute stemming from the 2024 film “It Ends With Us.” The ruling addresses remaining issues after the parties reached a settlement in May resolving Lively’s other claims.
Lively had sought fees and damages under California’s Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act following the dismissal of Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against her, her husband Ryan Reynolds and others. Judge Liman found that Lively qualified for fee recovery because there was no evidence of malice in her statements.
“The court determines that Ms. Lively is entitled to attorneys’ fees and costs,” the judge wrote in the order.
However, Liman denied Lively’s bid for treble or punitive damages, ruling that the California statute does not create additional remedies beyond fees in this federal proceeding. The exact amount of fees will be determined after Lively submits documentation.
The legal battle began when Lively sued Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios in late 2024, alleging sexual harassment and a retaliatory smear campaign during production. Baldoni countersued for defamation and extortion. In June 2025, the judge dismissed Baldoni’s defamation claims. In April 2026, Liman dismissed most of Lively’s claims, including sexual harassment allegations.
The remaining claims were settled out of court in May, averting a scheduled trial. The settlement preserved Lively’s ability to pursue fee recovery and related issues under the California law.
Lawyers for Lively described the ruling as affirming that her actions were in good faith. Representatives for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios had no immediate comment on the latest decision.
The case drew significant public attention due to the high-profile nature of the actors and detailed allegations that emerged in court filings. As of Friday, the dockets in the consolidated cases have been closed with no appeals planned, officials said.
Further proceedings are limited to calculation of the fee award.
