Justin Baldoni asks judge to slash Blake Lively's $8mn legal fee request

Justin Baldoni is pushing back against Blake Lively's request for more than $8 million in legal fees, asking a federal judge to deny the application or significantly reduce the amount following the pair's settled It Ends With Us legal battle.

According to newly filed court documents, Baldoni's legal team argues that Lively's request is "excessive" and unsupported by the work required in the case. The actress is seeking approximately $7.5 million in attorneys' fees and more than $500,000 in litigation costs after successfully defending against Baldoni's now-dismissed defamation lawsuit.

Baldoni's lawyers contend that Lively's legal team overstaffed the case, billing more than 7,000 hours across 82 timekeepers, and charged hourly rates they describe as well above what is reasonable.

In the filing, they argue that many attorneys performed overlapping work, while excessive time was spent on legal research, strategy meetings and internal consultations. They also claim the fee request far exceeds awards in comparable cases.

The latest filing stems from the high-profile legal dispute between the It Ends With Us co-stars, which began in 2024 and concluded earlier this year with a confidential settlement that did not include financial damages for either side. Although the broader litigation has ended, the court allowed Lively to seek reimbursement for legal fees under a California law designed to protect individuals from retaliatory lawsuits.

Lively's attorneys have previously argued that the fee request reflects the extraordinary amount of work required to defend what they characterised as a retaliatory legal campaign.

"This landmark decision... protects those who may one day find themselves facing similar retaliation for speaking the truth," her legal team previously said after filing the request.

Baldoni's response rejects that characterisation, maintaining that the requested amount is disproportionate and should not be approved by the court. His lawyers are asking the judge either to deny the request entirely or substantially reduce it to a figure they consider reasonable.

The dispute over legal fees follows Baldoni's first public comments on the case last week, when he described the nearly two-year legal battle as a period marked by "injustice and pain" while thanking supporters who stood by him throughout the proceedings.

A federal judge will now decide whether Lively is entitled to recover the full amount she requested, a reduced sum, or none at all, bringing one of Hollywood's most closely watched legal disputes a step closer to its conclusion.