Blake Lively hits Justin Baldoni with demand for over $8 million in legal fees

Blake Lively is seeking more than $8 million in legal fees after the dismissal of Justin Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against her, it has been revealed.

The long running legal battle between the former co-stars has dragged out for more than two years, with Lively accusing Baldoni of harassment, sexual misconduct, and a smear campaign on the set of It Ends With Us in 2024. She filed a suit claiming $161 million in damages.

Baldoni had always refused the allegations and filed a counter, $400 million defamation-related lawsuit, which was ultimately settled out of court.

And while that appeared to be the end of the matter, Lively is now demanding $8,035,040.88 in attorneys' fees and litigation costs, as per a Monday (June 29) filing first reported by Deadline.

Lively's attorney's say the work required to counter Baldoni's lawsuit has been 'comprehensive and necessary to achieve the complete win that was secured', stating that Lively 'has paid, and continues to pay' her legal bills.

The pair have been embroiled in a legal battle for two years (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Directly referencing Baldoni's production company Wayfarer Studios, who Lively also sued, the filing added: "The Wayfarer Parties employed scorched-earth litigation tactics designed to drain Lively’s resources, including a near-daily press campaign promoting their sham lawsuit, propounding expansive and irrelevant discovery demands, obstructing discovery directed at them and affiliated third parties, and forcing Lively to seek frequent relief from the Court to reign in their abusive docket filings."

Lively's legal team told Deadline: "Thanks to this landmark decision, those considering using a lawsuit as a weapon of intimidation have been put on notice that there are consequences for doing so.

"The value of this ruling is in the precedent it creates, the accountability it imposes, and the protection it provides to those who may one day find themselves facing similar retaliation for speaking the truth."

UNILAD has reached out to Baldoni's representatives for comment.