A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Justin Baldoni must pay Blake Lively a little more than $400,000 of the $8 million she sought for attorneys’ fees, according to The Associated Press. The judgment follows the settlement Baldoni and Lively reached following lawsuits related to Baldoni’s alleged misconduct on the set of It Ends With Us.
She is now to receive $363,245.40 in lawyers’ fees and $44,206.35 in costs. Her lawyers previously requested $7,495,526.87 in fees and and $539,514.01 in costs and expenses.
Judge Lewis J. Liman, who wrote his decision in Manhattan, said that a California law limits the amount of legal fees Lively could recoup. The law was meant to protect survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory lawsuits. He interpreted the law to mean that Baldoni would reimburse her only for what she paid to defend herself against defamation claims, rather than every claim Baldoni lodged at her.
Bryan Freedman, who represents Baldoni, told TMZ he respected Section 47.1, which is meant to protect “real survivors” but suggested the law “was applied in ways it was never intended for.” But he still sees it as a win for Baldoni. “The ruling is a significant victory for my clients and sends a clear message that, no matter how powerful you may be, the courtroom is not a place to take advantage of the law for your own personal gain,” he said. (Freedman did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.)
“Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties lost their meritless retaliatory $400 million lawsuit, which two different courts held was designed to stifle public criticism and silence Blake Lively and others,” Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb, said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “This first-ever award of fees and costs under this California law is historic, and demonstrates that there are real consequences of bringing retaliatory lawsuits. As we have said from day one, Blake Lively’s case was never about money — it was about accountability.”
Lively had sued Baldoni for sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, leading a smear campaign against her, and other claims. Baldoni denied these allegations and accused Lively of using her lawsuit as a measure to take control of the film, whose subject was domestic violence. He and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, countersued Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for $400 million alleging defamation, civil extortion, and other claims. A judge later dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit. They announced they had reached a settlement two weeks before a trial was to begin.
When Liman decided that Lively should get “reasonable” attorneys’ fees, her lawyers sent a bill that totaled more than $8 million, which, they said, represented discounted rates. In the filing, Gottlieb revealed that his typical hourly rate is $2,795 an hour but that he’d lowered it to $2,187 for Lively. The 224 hours he spent on her case alone totaled some $457,000.
“We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard,” Lively and Baldoni said in a joint statement when they reached their settlement. “We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”
