Did Judge Liman order Blake Lively’s attorney fees to be paid for by Justin Baldoni? Court ruling examined as high-profile legal battle concludes
Justin Baldoni will have to pay for Blake Lively’s attorney fees after the former’s $400 million defamation lawsuit was dismissed last year. The high-profile case between the two actors is set to conclude after they settled on the original lawsuit.
Lively had initially filed a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios in December 2024. Justin Baldoni filed a counter lawsuit, alleging defamation and demanding $400 million. However, it was dismissed in June last year.
While the litigation continued this year, Judge Lewis Liman has now ordered Baldoni to pay Lively’s legal fees. He, however, denied the actress’ request for treble and punitive damages.
There is a California law that aims to protect victims of sexual harassment from such defamation claims. Judge Liman quoted that law in court on Friday, June 12, and stated:
“[It] does not create an end run around the entire set of carefully crafted federal procedural rules designed to protect the rights of the parties.”
“It instead establishes a narrow exception to the usual litigation process for a specific and limited kind of relief. Compensatory and punitive damages do not fall within that exception,” he added.
Blake Lively, notably, had a big legal team, which was led by Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson. They released a statement after the verdict on Friday, which stated:
“Blake Lively won her motion under Civil Code Section 47.1. Today’s ruling makes it clear that Ms. Lively brought her claims in good faith, that there was no evidence she acted with malice, and that she is the prevailing defendant under Section 47.1. The Court is awarding Ms. Lively attorneys’ fees and costs and has explained that a prevailing defendant under Section 47.1 may seek damages using different procedural mechanisms.”
They also expressed Lively’s gratitude towards Section 47.1 and laws like these, stating that it helps “create a path for survivors to hold [alleged abusers] accountable.”
Justin Baldoni’s team release statement after being ordered to pay Blake Lively’s legal fee for defamation suit
Following Judge Liman’s verdict, Justin Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, also put out a statement. He claimed that they had won the original lawsuit after both parties settled last month. Hence, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the judgment.
Justin Baldoni’s statement read:
“We fought and won against a coordinated effort built on allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and a smear campaign that never happened. Ms. Lively demanded over 300 million in fees and damages, had 10 of her 13 claims dismissed, she then chose to settle and received nothing.”
“…Throughout this process, innocent people had their reputations unfairly tarnished. There was no sexual harassment. There was no retaliation. There was no smear campaign. The court recognized it, the record reflects it, and we have maintained it from the very beginning. We would not hesitate to stand up for the truth again,” it added.
Notably, while Judge Liman dismissed Blake Lively’s request for damages, she can potentially file another lawsuit or claim for those damages. She had previously demanded around $300 million in legal fees and damages from Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.
Edited by Aditya Singh
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