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Justin Baldoni is pushing back at Blake Lively's request that he meet a demand for around $8million to cover her legal fees, following their May settlement in their litigation over It Ends with Us.
In documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Monday, attorneys for Baldoni said that Lively's request was 'anything but a typical fee motion' in asking for a judge to dismiss the request made by the actress.
Baldoni's attorneys pointed to Lively's request for $7,495,526 in legal fees 'for 7,070.20 hours billed by no fewer than 82 timekeepers, to obtain the dismissal of a single defamation claim at the pleading stage.'
They noted that 'in contrast, The New York Times is seeking $181,000 in a fee request filed in state court for its motion to dismiss precisely the same defamation claim.'
Lively's team 'could not possibly have spent over 7,000 hours' in prep for the dismissal motion, Baldoni's lawyers said in the filing.
The filing claimed that 'the most cursory review of Lively’s submission shows multiple lawyers at the same hearings, numerous charges for lawyers conferencing, conferring or strategizing with one another, and to put it mildly, extremely excessive research and online investigation.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Baldoni and Lively for further comment on the story.
Justin Baldoni is pushing back at Blake Lively's request that he meet her $7.5 million demand to cover her legal fees, following their May settlement in their litigation over It Ends with Us. Pictured in NYC in February
Lively pictured at Fendi Flagship on May 19 in NYC
After the defamation claims made by Baldoni had been dismissed, Judge Lewis J. Liman said Lively could try to recoup her legal fees under California Civil Code Section 47.1.
The actor's legal team told the court that Lively 'broadly construes Section 47.1' to cover fees linked to 'Wayfarer’s eight non-defamation claims and Lively’s fifteen affirmative claims,' which she said were 'inextricably intertwined.'
Attorneys for Baldoni said in the filing that 'Lively’s affirmative claims, including those for sexual harassment were unsuccessful - either dismissed on summary judgment or voluntarily - and she was therefore not entitled to fees under FEHA or Title VII.'
They said in the filing that the 'fee request is so over-inclusive that it sweeps in fees for researching her own liability for perjury arising from her California CRD claim and her Rule 11 motion for which the court has already denied fees!'
Baldoni's legal team said that any fees awarded should be seriously reduced based on multiple factors.
'Lively does not provide billing statements or other records to support her $7.5 million demand, much less allocate fees to her defense of Wayfarer’s defamation claim,' attorneys for Baldoni told the court.
Other key factors Baldoni's team cited in their filing was Lively’s inability to prove that the total was based on reasonable hours and rates; a lack of evidence to support her claims; and misguided calculations as to fees that can or cannot be recovered.
Baldoni's attorneys said that Lively was also asking for 'a whopping $539,514.01 in costs and expenses without providing evidence to substantiate the costs or attribute them to tasks covered by Section 47.1.'
Lawyers for Baldoni requested Judge Liman either deny or drastically cut the amount of fees Lively should receive.
Baldoni's legal team said that any fees awarded should be seriously reduced based on multiple factors
Lively pictured at the UK Gala Screening of "It Ends With Us" at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on August 8, 2024 in London, England
'In sum, Lively fails to meet her burden to present credible evidence showing that the fees and costs she seeks to recover are reasonable and, accordingly, her fee motion should be denied in its entirety,' Baldoni's lawyers said in the filing.
They added, 'At minimum, the Court should substantially reduce the request, using as a benchmark the $181,622.70 the Times sought after securing dismissal of Count II on its separate motion to dismiss – the same outcome Lively achieved.'
An insider close to Lively told TMZ Monday that Baldoni's team saying that the defamation claim is the only actionable item in the case contradicts statutory language which states '"successful defense of the litigation" not the "claim" and they don’t deal with that at all in their opposition, because they know they’re wrong.'
The initial legal battle between Baldoni, 42, and Lively, 38, had lasted nearly a year-and-a-half, as in December of 2024, she named him in a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, retaliatory conduct, and intentional infliction of emotional stress.
In April, a judge threw out 10 of the 13 claims Lively made in her initial filing, including all of the claims against Baldoni personally, such as sexual harassment, conspiracy and defamation.
The remaining claims of retaliation and breach of contract against the studio and production company were settled two weeks ahead of a projected May 18 trial date, without payment.
In her lawsuit, the actress accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways - including body shaming her - and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation.
Lively also named a number of Baldoni's collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio's CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel. All of the claims against them were either dismissed or settled without payment, as well.
Baldoni had initially asked for $250 million in damages from The New York Times, mentioning a report it published on the topic that he claimed was defamatory, then added it to the $400 million lawsuit he filed in January 2025.
Lively seen in NYC May 19, the day after the start date of her trial with Baldoni before settling
It Ends with Us earned $148 million in domestic box office and $350 million globally - but whatever goodwill the film garnered has since been overshadowed by the allegations made by its stars
In the suit, Baldoni named Lively, her spouse Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, citing the aforementioned report in legal documents. It was thrown out of court in June of 2025. All parties denied all of the allegations against them.
It Ends with Us earned $148 million in domestic box office and $350 million globally - but whatever goodwill the film garnered has since been overshadowed by the allegations made by its stars.
The motion picture, which also starred Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, was based on the 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover. The storyline of the film centered around a toxic relationship between Lily Bloom (played by Lively) and Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni).
According to a logline for the film, Lily 'overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life,' as 'a chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents' relationship.'
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