Blake Lively Seeks Millions From Justin Baldoni Citing Retaliatory Defamation Lawsuit
Blake Lively is seeking a court decision that would compel Justin Baldoni to compensate her with millions, stemming from his defamation lawsuit against her.
According to a legal filing secured by Us Weekly on Tuesday, September 9, lawyers representing Lively asserted that the actress should receive “reasonable attorney’s fees and costs for successfully defending [herself] in the litigation.” (Variety initially broke this story.)
Court papers indicate that Lively, aged 38, intends to pursue triple damages for the financial, emotional, and psychological distress she claims to have suffered due to the lawsuit, alongside punitive damages for Baldoni’s purported misuse of the judicial process.
California Governor Gavin Newsom enacted the Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act in 2023. Lively’s legal representatives reference this legislation in court filings, asserting that it “ensures that individuals who experience sexual harassment or retaliation are able to share their experiences with courts, agencies, the press and others without fear of being sued for doing so.”
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“Unfortunately, Ms. Lively is among many who face retaliatory defamation lawsuits after disclosing workplace harassment,” a spokesperson for Lively stated to Us on Tuesday. “This is exactly why California implemented AB 933: to ensure survivors are safeguarded when they speak out, and that those who exploit the legal system to silence them will be held responsible, not only for attorneys’ fees but also for triple and punitive damages.”
Us Weekly has sought a response from Baldoni’s legal representatives regarding the motion.
Lawyers for Baldoni contend that the aforementioned law is irrelevant to Lively’s situation. They further assert that their client’s defamation claim was grounded in facts, rather than being an act of intimidation.
“Essentially, Lively requests the Court to declare her exempt from any responsibility for her alleged misconduct, and instead, the Wayfarer Parties should be penalized for daring to exercise their constitutional right to seek legal recourse for her falsehoods,” Baldoni’s attorneys penned in a memo acquired by NewsNation.
In an earlier document procured by Variety, Baldoni’s team similarly alleged that “Lively fabricated her accusations of sexual harassment, either entirely or by amplifying innocent (and non-harassing) interactions in a deliberate, malicious attempt to gain control of the Film and subsequently salvage her reputation following a widely reported string of marketing errors that tarnished her public image.”
The legal conflict between Lively and Baldoni commenced in December 2024, after the actress made allegations against her It Ends With Us costar and director concerning sexual harassment, fostering an unwelcoming workplace, and deliberately orchestrating a negative campaign against her.
Subsequently, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, claiming she faced retaliation due to her sexual harassment accusations.
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Baldoni vehemently refuted these claims and filed a countersuit against Lively. In June, a court rejected his $400 million countersuit targeting the actress.
“From the very beginning, we maintained that this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was baseless, and the Court recognized that,” Lively’s legal team told Us in a statement then. “We anticipate the next phase, which involves pursuing attorneys’ fees, treble damages, and punitive damages.”
On July 31, Us verified that Lively started her sworn testimony. Her lawsuit against Baldoni is provisionally slated for trial in March 2026.
