Blake Lively Seeks Damages, Legal Fees from Baldoni Post Dismissal

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The Post-Settlement Battle Over Legal Fees

The settlement reached in May 2026 was supposed to end the legal war between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, but the conflict has pivoted to a fight over the bill. According to USA TODAY, Lively’s attorneys appeared in court on June 1 to request that Baldoni pay her costs, fees, and damages stemming from a 2025 defamation lawsuit he filed against her. Lively is leveraging a California law designed to protect individuals who file harassment complaints from retaliatory defamation suits. Her legal team argues that the statue “helps take the burden off of survivors by providing reasonable attorneys’ fees and damages if they successfully defend themselves against meritless lawsuits,”. This request specifically targets the fallout from Baldoni’s previous $400 million countersuit, which had named not only Lively but also her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times. Baldoni’s defense is fighting back. His attorney, Ellyn S. Garofalo, argued in a letter to Judge Lewis Liman that “there is no authority to support the notion” that the California statute “can be used to do an end run around a plaintiff or defendant’s right to a jury trial.” Garofalo further contended that because Lively dismissed her own claims and gave up her right to appeal, she is no longer entitled to damages. It is a high-stakes financial pivot. Lively isn’t just asking for reimbursement; she is seeking punitive damages and treble damages, a penalty that would triple the amount of actual damages if she prevails.

Harassment Allegations and the Road to Settlement

The friction began long before the courtroom. As detailed by Britannica, Lively filed a lawsuit in December 2024 accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation during the production of the domestic violence drama. Her allegations were severe: she claimed Baldoni made inappropriate comments, failed to respect her physical boundaries, and entered her trailer while she was partially undressed. Baldoni responded in January 2025 with a countersuit for defamation and extortion. The legal pendulum swung back toward Lively in June 2025, when a judge dismissed Baldoni’s claims, ruling that his allegations of civil extortion and false light lacked legal merit. Despite the dismissal of the countersuit, the primary legal battle continued. Judge Liman eventually trimmed Lively’s case, dismissing all but three of her 16 causes of action on April 2. With a trial date looming for May 18, the two parties finally reached a settlement just days before they were scheduled to testify.

Box Office Triumph and the Netflix Exit

While the off-screen drama dominated headlines, the film itself was a financial juggernaut. However, that commercial success has not translated into long-term streaming stability. ComingSoon reports that “It Ends with Us” is scheduled to leave Netflix on Tuesday, June 9. The film’s reception was a study in contradictions, splitting critics and audiences down the middle. The financial success initially hinted at a franchise, but the legal warfare effectively killed the momentum for a sequel. While Baldoni once suggested Lively was “ready to direct” a follow-up, the fact that Wayfarer Studios holds the rights—coupled with the toxic relationship between the leads—makes a second installment unlikely.

Maintaining the Public Image

Amidst the courtroom filings and streaming exits, Lively has maintained a carefully curated public presence, often leaning into her relationship with Ryan Reynolds to soften her image. In a recent social media post highlighted by 24ur.com, Lively shared a photo of Reynolds, jokingly suggesting that his physique deserved its own OnlyFans profile. The post is part of a broader pattern of public banter between the couple, who frequently use photo montages and jokes to engage their followers. This lighthearted persona stands in stark contrast to the grim details of her legal filings. The couple’s history of public humor includes a previous instance where Reynolds edited a photo of Lively and Taylor Swift, replacing their faces with his own and that of Travis Kelce. “I feel like I should remember this,” Ryan Reynolds, via 24ur.com For Lively, the strategy is clear: while the legal system handles the grievances of the past, the social media feed focuses on the glamour and humor of the present. However, with the June 1 court appearance, it is evident that the settlement was not a clean break, but rather a transition into a new phase of litigation over the costs of the conflict.