Justin Baldoni has asked a federal judge to reject or dramatically cut Blake Lively’s request for more than $8 million in legal fees, escalating what was supposed to be the final financial chapter of their bitter “It Ends With Us” dispute. In a filing submitted Monday, Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, called Lively’s request “anything but a typical fee motion” and accused her legal team of billing excessive hourly rates.
Lively is seeking $7,495,526.87 in attorneys’ fees plus $539,514.01 in litigation costs, tied to her successful defense against Baldoni’s now-dismissed $400 million countersuit. Baldoni’s filing points to a stark comparison: The New York Times, sued separately by Baldoni over its reporting, sought only $181,622.70 for a motion targeting “precisely the same defamation claim.” His lawyers argue the case was “overstaffed,” citing more than 7,000 billable hours, multiple attorneys appearing at the same hearings, and what the filing calls “extremely excessive research and online investigation.”
Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, told The Hollywood Reporter that Lively’s overall legal spending likely ran between $30 million and $60 million, suggesting her team fell short of its goals despite the fee request. Court records show lead attorney Michael Gottlieb billed roughly $457,000 for 224 hours after a 15% discount, averaging $2,187 hourly, while his firm collected close to $4.5 million overall.
Lively’s attorneys have defended the request, calling the work required to unravel Baldoni’s countersuit “comprehensive and necessary to achieve the complete win that was secured.” They note she has continued paying her legal bills and intends to seek additional fees tied to litigating the fee dispute itself.
The fee fight follows a May settlement that resolved the remaining claims between Lively and Baldoni just weeks before trial, closing out a legal battle that began in December 2024 when Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment during production of “It Ends With Us” and alleged a coordinated retaliatory smear campaign.
Judge Lewis Liman dismissed most of Baldoni’s countersuit last year but ruled Lively could recover defense costs under a California law shielding harassment claimants from retaliatory defamation suits. That ruling now hinges on how much money actually changes hands, with Liman expected to set a final figure after Baldoni files his reply.
