Show Caption
Justin Baldoni is pushing back against Blake Lively's request for more than $8 million in legal fees.The actor, 42, and his production company Wayfarer Studios filed an opposition July 13 to Lively's earlier motion, stating it "should be denied in its entirety" or, "at minimum," reduced "substantially," according to documents obtained Tuesday by USA TODAY.In June, Lively, 38, asked a New York federal court to award her a total of $8,035,040.88 relating to Baldoni's previously dismissed defamation case against her. She said that she "has paid, and continues to pay" bills for the litigation, including nearly $7.5 million in fees and more than $500,000 in costs.In his response, Baldoni calls the request "anything but a typical fee motion," adding that Lively's legal team's rates, which she revealed can be up to $2,187 per hour, are "excessive."The expenses pertain to Baldoni's dismissed $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and The New York Times accusing them of civil extortion, defamation and false light in January 2025. It came one month after Lively sued Baldoni and Wayfarer over claims that he sexually harassed her on the set of "It Ends with Us" and helped orchestrate a smear campaign against her.Baldoni's latest filing uses The New York Times' separate request for $181,622.70 in attorneys' fees "to dismiss precisely the same defamation claim" as reason to believe the "Gossip Girl" alum's number is exorbitant.He also alleges the "extraordinary sum" is "over-inclusive" of fees pertaining to other areas of the former costars' massive legal battle.USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Lively and Baldoni for comment.A timeline of Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively legal battleOn May 4, the pair reached a settlement agreement to end "all differences and disputes" and "irrevocably waive any and all appellate rights associated" with either of their prior legal actions. One month prior, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed all but three of Lively's 16 causes of action in her December 2024 breach of contract and retaliation lawsuit.The only remaining litigation revolved around her motion to be rewarded all compensatory damages provided under a California law that aims to protect those who file harassment complaints from retaliatory defamation suits. On June 12, Liman ordered Baldoni and Wayfarer to pay Lively's attorneys costs and fees but did not grant her request for damages.Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal battle endsBlake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reached a settlement in their legal dispute after almost a year-and-a-half.Lively's attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson reacted to the news in a statement to USA TODAY at the time."Thanks to this landmark decision, those considering using a lawsuit as a weapon of intimidation have been put on notice that there are consequences for doing so," they said. "The value of this ruling is in the precedent it creates, the accountability it imposes, and the protection it provides to those who may one day find themselves facing similar retaliation for speaking the truth."On July 7, "Jane the Virgin" actor and his wife Emily, 41, posted a lengthy video to Instagram speaking out for the first time since the settlement."We are healing. And if you've ever been through something traumatic, you know that healing isn't linear. It looks different every day," Baldoni said, noting the past few years have shown the couple what really matters, including their children, friends, community and faith."There were so many of you who, when we didn't have a voice, were our voice," he continued. "So many of you had discernment, and you used your intuition, and you trusted that. And you have given your time to fight for us. And thank you does not feel like enough."Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
