EXCLUSIVE: Blake Lively Wants Justin Baldoni to Pay Her $8Million Legal Bill After Actress Fought His 'Frivolous' Lawsuit in Nasty Court Battle
Blake Lively isn't quite done duking it out with Justin Baldoni.
June 30 2026, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
Blake Lively has revealed she has already spent nearly $8million defending herself against Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, in their nasty and explosive legal war – and now wants the court to order the other side to foot the bill, Breaking Celebrity News can reveal.
According to new court documents obtained by Radar, attorneys for the It Ends With Us actress asked a judge to award $7,495,526.87 in attorneys' fees along with $539,514.01 in litigation costs and expenses, bringing the total request to $8,035,040.88.
Blake Lively's Demands Revealed
Lively's filing breaks down the requested fees between two powerhouse law firms.
The filing breaks down the requested fees between two powerhouse law firms, stating Lively paid $2.95million to Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP and another $4.54million to co-counsel Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP while defending against Baldoni’s lawsuit.
According to the declaration submitted by Manatt partner Esra Hudson, the movie star "has paid, and continues to pay" the firm's invoices, while also estimating she has incurred more than $100,000 in additional legal fees related to the latest motions filed in June.
The actress argued the staggering legal bill was driven by the scope of the litigation, which included more than 250 document requests, over 7,000 documents produced by Lively, roughly 44,000 documents produced by the Wayfarer parties, another 36,000 documents from third parties, and dozens of discovery disputes litigated before the court.
'Simply Had No Basis' to Sue Blake Lively
Lively and her 'It Ends With Us' co-star, Baldoni, have been duking it out for months.
Lively's attorneys also pointed to the extraordinary media attention surrounding the dispute, claiming the case generated thousands of news articles and required the actress to file more than 50 motions to seal sensitive court filings while responding to what they described as an aggressive litigation strategy.
The fee request comes months after U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman partially granted Lively’s Rule 11 sanctions motion, concluding several claims brought against the actress lacked any legal basis.
According to the new filing, the court previously found certain plaintiffs "simply had no basis" to sue Lively for extortion, failed to identify "even an arguable basis in law or fact" for other claims, and had "no conceivable basis" to pursue certain contract allegations.
Blake Lively Negotiates Attorney Fees
Lead attorneys billed discounted hourly rates ranging from roughly $1,161 to $1,287.
The judge also reprimanded counsel after finding they had advanced legally frivolous and factually baseless claims.
Lively's attorneys argue that those findings support shifting the financial burden of defending the case. The declaration further reveals Lively negotiated discounted billing rates with Manatt despite employing some of the country’s highest-profile litigators.
Lead attorneys billed discounted hourly rates ranging from roughly $1,161 to $1,287, while other partners billed more than $1,000 per hour after negotiated reductions, according to the filing.
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After the court later ruled she could pursue attorneys' fees, Lively has now returned seeking more than $8million in reimbursement.
Judge Liman has not yet ruled on whether Lively will recover the more than $8million she is seeking.
As Radar previously reported, Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement that ended their sprawling legal battle without either side recovering damages from the other.
But after the court later ruled she could pursue attorneys' fees, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star has now returned seeking millions in reimbursement.
