Justin Baldoni attorney rips Blake Lively after judge awards limited attorney fees
Justin Baldoni's lawyer issued a scathing statement after a judge ruled that Blake Lively was entitled to recover attorney and litigation fees.
Judge Lewis J. Liman said in a written decision that Lively can recover legal fees and costs related to her defense against a countersuit Baldoni brought against her after she sued him in December 2024. The judge rejected her claims to triple any damages and pursue punitive damages.
On Friday, Bryan Freedman shared a statement with Fox News Digital, stating that Lively "failed" in her attempt to sue Baldoni for sexual harassment.
"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," Freedman began.
"Notwithstanding that all of her sexual harassment and defamation claims were thrown out by the court, Ms. Lively then pivoted to exploit a California law that was established to protect real victims in what proved to be a fruitless mission to obtain damages. Once again, she failed," he continued.
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Freedman stated that Baldoni's legal team was successful in exposing the truth and "justice prevailed."
"Ms. Lively was only awarded limited attorney fees for a single claim as part of a case that lasted only a matter of months, nothing more. Throughout this process, innocent people had their reputations unfairly tarnished. There was no sexual harassment," he continued. "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," Freedman concluded.
Lively's legal team shared a statement with People. "Bryan Freedman and his clients resorted to a DARVO [Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender] statement that is a pack of lies," the statement began.
"Just a few weeks ago, they said Blake Lively's claims 'deserved to be heard.' Now it seems Justin Baldoni thinks women who bring claims of sexual harassment and retaliation in good faith, without malice, should be sued into oblivion," it continued.
Lively's legal team concluded: "Thankfully, there's a law against that, and the Court applied it today. People who do nothing wrong don't have to pay millions of dollars, which is where this is headed now."
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The legal dispute between "It Ends With Us" co-stars began in late 2024 after Lively filed a complaint and later a lawsuit alleging that Baldoni sexually harassed her during the production of the film and that he and his associates participated in a campaign to damage her reputation after she raised concerns. Baldoni denied the allegations and maintained that Lively's claims were false.
In January 2025, Baldoni responded by filing a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others, alleging defamation, extortion, and related claims. He also pursued legal action against The New York Times over its reporting on the controversy.
However, in June 2025, a federal judge dismissed Baldoni's countersuit, ruling that many of the statements at issue were legally protected and that the claims did not meet the legal standards required to proceed.
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The litigation continued through 2025 and into 2026, with both sides claiming victories at various stages. Several of Lively's original claims were narrowed or dismissed before trial, while some retaliation-related issues remained part of the case.
In May 2026, the parties reached a settlement that ended most of the remaining litigation without publicly disclosing the terms.
The Associated Press contributed to this report