Blake Lively Won't Get Damages From Justin Baldoni, But He Must Pay Her Legal Fees
Blake Lively Loses Fight For Punitive Damages From Baldoni ... But Wins On Legal Fees
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11:25 AM PT -- Blake Lively's attorneys Esra Hudson & Michael Gottlieb tell TMZ ... Today’s ruling makes it clear that Ms. Lively brought her claims in good faith, that there was no evidence she acted with malice.
They continue to say, "The parties’ settlement agreement expressly preserves Ms. Lively’s rights to obtain those damages. Lively is gratified that her lawsuit shows how laws like it create a path for survivors to hold accountable those who weaponize online attacks and retaliatory lawsuits to intimidate and silence survivors."
Blake Lively struck out in her bid to make Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer cough up money for damages ... but she is getting them to cover a portion of her legal expenses.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge ruled Blake won't be getting the punitive or treble damages she was seeking ... but Justin is being ordered to pick up the tab for her attorney's fees.
No word yet on how much Justin and Wayfarer will have to shell out ... the amount is still undetermined, as of right now ... but they're not paying Blake any damages on top.
The decision stems from a June 1 hearing in Manhattan federal court, where Blake's lawyers argued Justin should be forced to cover her legal bills -- and potentially face additional damages -- after his defamation lawsuit against her was tossed out.
The "It Ends With Us" stars' fight over money was one of the few issues left unresolved after the two sides settled.
The court wasn't fully convinced by Blake's request and denied her request for punitive and treble damages ... but signed off on her being awarded legal fees and costs.
Blake's attorneys had argued Justin's lawsuit was exactly the kind of retaliatory legal action California law was designed to prevent ... claiming she should be compensated for the costs of defending herself, plus additional damages under a section of the California Civil Code. Justin's team fired back, accusing Blake of trying to revive a court battle that had already been settled.
As TMZ previously reported, the former costars settled the remaining claims in their explosive dispute in May -- avoiding trial. The settlement terms were never publicly disclosed ... though both sides quickly claimed victory afterward.
The legal saga began when Blake accused Justin of sexual harassment and retaliation tied to the making of "It Ends With Us." Justin denied the allegations and countersued Blake, Ryan Reynolds, and others ... but that case was dismissed.
Even with the broader case settled, the fight over attorneys' fees and other damages kept both camps battling in court ... right up until this latest ruling.
Justin Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman tells TMZ ... “We fought and won against a coordinated effort built on allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and a smear campaign that never happened. Ms. Lively demanded over 300 million in fees and damages, had 10 of her 13 claims dismissed, she then chose to settle and received nothing."
Freedman goes on to say, "Not withstanding that all of her sexual harassment and defamation claims were thrown out by the court, Ms. Lively then pivoted to exploit a California law that was established to protect real victims in what proved to be a fruitless mission to obtain damages. Once again, she failed. Ms. Lively was only awarded limited attorney fees for a single claim as part of a case that lasted only a matter of months, nothing more."
Freedman closes by saying, "Throughout this process, innocent people had their reputations unfairly tarnished. There was no sexual harassment. There was no retaliation. There was no smear campaign. The court recognized it, the record reflects it, and we have maintained it from the very beginning. We would not hesitate to stand up for the truth again.”
