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Blake Lively, Justin Baldonis Lawyers Earn Huge Fees

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's lawyers raked in eye-watering fees throughout their lengthy legal battle.Though the actress, 38, did not get a single dollar f...

Bintano News

May 6, 2026

and 's lawyers raked in eye-watering fees throughout their lengthy legal battle.

Though the actress, 38, did not get a single dollar from Baldoni, 42, against his film production company Wayfarer just two weeks before the case was set to go to trial, their attorneys fared much better.

The It Ends With Us co-stars reportedly spent $60 million combined to sue and countersue one another, according to Page Six.

Baldoni was represented by high-profile legal eagle Bryan Freedman and seasoned trial attorney Ellyn Garofalo, while Lively's legal team consisted of top litigators Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson.

Despite Lively's claim that she lost nearly $300 million in earnings and income after being the victim of an alleged 'smear campaign,' no money changed hands in the final agreement.

Freedman celebrated the win on Tuesday, declaring the result for Baldoni nothing short of a 'huge victory.'

Blake Lively, 38, and Justin Baldoni, 42, reportedly spent a combined $60 million in legal fees throughout their lengthy legal battle: (L) Lively seen in 2025, (R) Baldoni seen in February

Freedman said that Baldoni already felt like a winner in April, when a judge dismissed Lively's sexual harassment claims, in an interview with TMZ.

Lively was pictured arriving at the Met Gala on Monday, just hours after news about her surprise settlement with Baldoni broke

A VP at Kroger reportedly told Lively's team at Betty Booze - her alcohol company - that the supermarket was 'closely monitoring sales' and expected a 'negative impact' due to her movie interviews, and asked how she planned to 'course correct' with her audience.

Both Princess Cruises and the railroad company Brightline also expressed hesitation to the Betty Booze team.

The executive VP of Brightline requested to 'hold for a minute' on a marketing partnership until the negative 'chatter' around the actress died down.

Lively was allegedly planning to use the report as evidence of how her brand was negatively impacted in her trial against Baldoni, before they settled.

Lively sued her director and It Ends With Us co-star Baldoni for sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her on December 31, 2024.

The surprise settlement came after a judge last month sensationally gutted Lively's case, dismissing ten of her 13 claims, including all of the sexual harassment allegations.

The trial was still due to kick off on May 18, but covering only three counts: retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of an agreement, known as the Contract Rider.

The ruling also meant that Baldoni was no longer a named defendant in the case. Instead, Wayfarer, along with the company he set up to make It Ends With Us and TAG PR, was due to go on trial for the alleged 'smear campaign' against Lively. It denied the claims.

The settlement marked the end of a two-year legal battle over the fallout from the 2024 movie It Ends with Us; Lively and Baldoni seen on set in 2024

Baldoni and Wayfarer had countersued Lively and her husband Reynolds for $400 million, accusing them of defamation and extortion. The judge dismissed the claims last June.

At the center of the case were several incidents Lively claimed amounted to sexual harassment, including: Baldoni allegedly adding unscripted sexual moments, one of his personal friends playing a doctor during a birthing scene on an insufficiently closed set, and the movie's producer, Jamey Heath, allegedly barging into her trailer while she was topless. These allegations were thrown out.

The settlement marked the end of a two-year legal battle over the fallout from It Ends with Us.

The film, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling 2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, was released in August 2024, exceeding box office expectations with a $50 million debut.

Their joint statement in full

The end product - the movie 'It Ends With Us' - is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life.

Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors - and all survivors - is a goal that we stand behind.

We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms Lively deserved to be heard.

We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.

It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.

Blake Lively, Justin Baldonis Lawyers Earn Huge Fees

Their joint statement in full

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