Judge Rules Baldoni to Cover Lively's Legal Costs, No Damages
WHO:
Deadline - Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Judge Lewis Liman
NBC News - Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer (Baldoni's production company)
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - The court's ruling stated that "Compensatory and punitive damages do not fall within that exception" regarding the California law intended to shield sexual harassment victims.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court found that Lively is entitled to recover her legal fees, but not compensatory or punitive damages for harm caused by Baldoni's defamation claims.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court will assess how much in legal fees Lively should be paid, with her lawyers submitting a breakdown of their hourly rates and how long they worked on the case.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lively's legal team expressed that the ruling makes it clear she brought her claims in good faith and that there was no evidence she acted with malice.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court's ruling allows Lively to seek additional damages through another lawsuit or counterclaim against Baldoni or Wayfarer.
The Hollywood Reporter - The statute under which Lively moved for attorneys’ fees went into effect in 2024 and is intended to shield sexual harassment and assault victims when they report misconduct.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court stated that "Allegations are insufficient on their own to demonstrate that statements were in fact made with malice."
The Hollywood Reporter - The parties’ settlement agreement expressly preserves Lively’s rights to obtain damages through different procedural mechanisms.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court granted Lively’s bid to recover legal fees since she acted “without malice” when she made her sexual misconduct complaint.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lawyers for Baldoni and Wayfarer argued that some statements Lively advanced were misleading or, in some instances, outright false.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court denied damages in this case but left open the possibility for Lively to seek additional damages through another lawsuit or counterclaim against Baldoni or Wayfarer.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court stated that "Compensatory and punitive damages do not fall within that exception" regarding the California law intended to shield sexual harassment victims.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court will assess how much in legal fees Lively should be paid, with her lawyers submitting a breakdown of their hourly rates and how long they worked on the case.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lively's legal team expressed that the ruling makes it clear she brought her claims in good faith and that there was no evidence she acted with malice.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court's ruling allows Lively to seek additional damages through another lawsuit or counterclaim against Baldoni or Wayfarer.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court found that Lively is entitled to recover her legal fees, but not compensatory or punitive damages for harm caused by Baldoni's defamation claims.
The Hollywood Reporter - Baldoni waived his right to appeal the court’s order dismissing his $400 million lawsuit against Lively.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court will assess how much in legal fees Lively should be paid, with her lawyers submitting a breakdown of their hourly rates and how long they worked on the case.
The Hollywood Reporter - Lively's legal team is led by heavyweight litigators Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson.
The Hollywood Reporter - The statute under which Lively moved for attorneys’ fees went into effect in 2024 and is intended to shield sexual harassment and assault victims when they report misconduct.
The Hollywood Reporter - The court stated that "Allegations are insufficient on their own to demonstrate that statements were in fact made with malice."
The Hollywood Reporter - The parties’ settlement agreement expressly preserves Lively’s rights to obtain damages through different procedural mechanisms.
Deadline - Blake Lively is entitled to recover her legal fees from Justin Baldoni.
Rolling Stone TV Movies - The court ruled that Lively is not entitled to additional damages.
NBC News - A federal judge ruled that Lively can recover her legal fees but not additional damages for harm caused by Baldoni's defamation claims.
TMZ - A judge ruled that Blake Lively will not receive damages from Justin Baldoni but will have her legal expenses covered.
WHERE:
NBC News - The ruling was made in a federal court.
WHEN:
Deadline - The reputational fallout occurred in the summer of 2024.
Deadline - The settlement was reached in May.
WHY:
NBC News - The ruling was based on the judge's decision regarding the defamation claims made by Baldoni.
HOW:
Deadline - The judge issued a deeply reasoned 47-page order regarding the case.
(UPDATED June 13, 2026 08:06 UTC)
A court ruling has determined that compensatory and punitive damages do not apply under California law for sexual harassment victims, but it has granted Lively the right to recover her legal fees related to her defamation claims against Baldoni. While the court found that Lively acted without malice in bringing her complaint, it denied her damages in this case, allowing her to pursue additional claims through another lawsuit or counterclaim. The ruling also clarifies that Lively's legal team can submit a breakdown of their fees for the court to assess how much she should be compensated.
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(UPDATED June 13, 2026 01:43 UTC)
A court has ruled that compensatory and punitive damages do not fall under the exception of California law designed to protect sexual harassment victims, allowing Lively to pursue additional damages through a new lawsuit or counterclaim against Baldoni or Wayfarer. The court will also evaluate how much Lively should be compensated for legal fees, with her lawyers providing a detailed breakdown of their hourly rates and the time spent on the case. Lively's legal team emphasized that the ruling confirms she brought her claims in good faith, with no evidence of malice on her part.
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(UPDATED June 12, 2026 21:31 UTC)
A court has ruled that Lively is entitled to recover her legal fees but will not receive compensatory or punitive damages related to Baldoni's defamation claims. Baldoni has waived his right to appeal the dismissal of his $400 million lawsuit against Lively, while the court will now determine the amount of legal fees owed to her, based on her lawyers' submitted breakdown of their work. Lively's legal team, led by prominent litigators Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, successfully argued that allegations alone do not prove malice in this case, and the settlement agreement allows Lively to pursue damages through other legal avenues.
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(UPDATED June 12, 2026 19:38 UTC)
A federal judge has ruled that Blake Lively is entitled to recover her legal fees from Justin Baldoni, but she will not receive any additional damages related to Baldoni's defamation claims. The decision, which was based on a detailed 47-page order, was made in a federal court following the reputational fallout that occurred in the summer of 2024. The settlement between the two parties was reached in May, concluding this legal dispute.