Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have been in rough waters since the actress accused her It Ends With Us co-star of misconduct and infliction of emotional distress in December 2024. The duo had come together to adapt Colleen Hoover’s powerful story about domestic abuse. However, the drama between the main leads has lingered longer than the film’s essence for the audience.
And now, new reports have emerged about the latest development in the case, with Baldoni’s team calling Lively’s financial request “over-inclusive”.
Justin Baldoni is firing back at Blake Lively’s seven-figure pay ask
Justin Baldoni is not having any of Blake Lively’s “over-inclusive” demands, reported TMZ. According to reports, the director-actor is firing back at Lively’s request for a seven-figure sum to cover her legal bills in their It Ends With Us battle. The court document obtained by TMZ showed that Baldoni and his Wayfarer team have argued the amount Lively is seeking.
It is being reported that Justin Baldoni has called the ask wildly “overinflated”, claiming that Blake Lively has not been able to present any credible evidence to justify her request. They have alleged that no argument by Lively or her team has shown that she is entitled to the fees and are asking the judge to deny her request outright.
The motion was filed by Justin Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, who stated that Blake Lively’s demand was “over-inclusive”. He alleged that the fees were her own responsibility and that Baldoni should not be asked to pay them. The statement from the attorney could be read as:
“Lively’s 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!”
Justin Baldoni requests the fee to be slashed from USD 8 million
Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni has also argued that if the judge awards the fees to Blake Lively in any scenario, the amount should be reduced. The actor has urged the court to slash the amount from more than USD 8 million to a six-figure sum. The filing argues that Lively is trying to get Baldoni to pay for her legal work that goes far beyond defending his defamation lawsuit, calling her request bloated and unsupported.
A source close to Blake Lively has also shared with TMZ that their argument that the fees are recoverable only on the “defamation claim” is completely at odds with the statutory language. According to the reports, the statute says, “successful defence of the litigation”, not the “claim”. They don’t address that at all in their opposition because they know they’re wrong.
The source further revealed that the judge consolidated Blake Lively’s and Justin Baldoni’s cases, a fact they do not dispute. It was TMZ that previously reported that Blake Lively was seeking more than USD 8 million after a judge dismissed Baldoni’s USD 400 million defamation lawsuit and ruled she was entitled to recover attorneys’ fees tied to defeating that claim.
The fee dispute comes after Baldoni and Lively settled the remainder of their years-long legal battle in May 2026. The decision helped them avoid trial on her remaining breach-of-contract and retaliation claims. However, the legal battle has burned several bridges for the actress. So much so that she was even excluded from the wedding of her close friend, Taylor Swift, that took place on July 3, 2026. Additionally, several fans have stepped away from the actress’ support amid the legal row.
What are your thoughts on Justin Baldoni’s legal team’s claims against Blake Lively’s ask?
PC: SonyPictures, BlakeLively/IG, JustinBaldoni/IG
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