Justin Baldoni's Lawyer Dismisses Blake Lively's Damages Demand as Nonsense
Days after a settlement, Blake Lively says in new court filings she’s entitled to damages for harm from what she calls a retaliatory defamation action by Justin Baldoni — and his lawyer is firing back.
Thought the Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni drama wrapped with Monday's settlement? Not quite. Lively is now asking the court to make Baldoni and his company pay up, and Baldoni's lawyer is not exactly taking a victory lap on her behalf.
What Lively just filed
According to court filings obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, May 7, Lively, 38, says she is entitled to damages for harm she says she suffered because of what she calls a retaliatory defamation action brought by Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios during their fight over the movie It Ends With Us.
What she is asking for:
- Reasonable attorneys' fees and costs for defending herself in the litigation
- Treble damages tied to the alleged retaliatory defamation suit by the Wayfarer parties
- Punitive damages meant to deter similar conduct going forward
Why this is messy
This all comes days after both sides announced on Monday, May 4, that they had settled ahead of a trial that was set to start on May 18. The long, winding case started back in December 2024 when Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment, defamation, breach of contract, retaliation, and more. A judge tossed 10 of her 13 claims last month. Baldoni fired back with a $400 million countersuit, which was dismissed entirely in June 2025. So the scoreboard is... complicated.
Baldoni's side fires back
Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, told Entertainment Tonight on Thursday that he was surprised to see Lively push for damages post-settlement, calling what she filed a standard procedural motion and suggesting her camp is trying to spin a loss as a win. He did not hold back, saying it seems like more nonsense from Lively and arguing she refuses to take responsibility for her actions. He also said they would never have settled if it involved an allegation of sexual harassment, and that it is now up to the judge to rule on her damages request. For anyone wondering if there is a gag order in place, Freedman said Baldoni did not sign an NDA as part of Monday's deal.
Lively's camp calls it a win anyway
Earlier Thursday, Lively's attorneys, Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, labeled the settlement a resounding victory. Their reasoning: in their view, by settling and waiving the right to appeal, Baldoni and each individual defendant now face personal liability for abusing the legal system to try to silence and intimidate Lively. They also pointed to the joint settlement statement as undercutting any claim that Lively made it all up.
"We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard."
That line, from the joint statement earlier this week, is doing a lot of work for Lively's side. Her lawyers say her mission from day one was to call out smear campaigns and retaliatory lawsuits used to shut down survivors, and that mission continues with this new bid for fees and damages.
Where the film fits into this
Both sides also tried to zoom out and remind everyone the movie still exists. The joint statement called It Ends With Us a point of pride and said raising awareness for survivors of domestic violence — and all survivors — is a goal they stand behind. They also said they remain committed to safe, productive workplaces and hope the settlement brings closure and a more respectful environment online.
Quick timeline, because this has been a lot
Here is the condensed version of how we got here:
- Dec 2024: Lively sues Baldoni over the production of It Ends With Us, alleging sexual harassment, defamation, breach of contract, retaliation, and more.
- Jun 2025: Baldoni's $400 million countersuit is dismissed in full.
- Apr 2026: A judge dismisses 10 of Lively's 13 claims.
- May 4, 2026 (Mon): Both sides announce a settlement; the trial had been set for May 18.
- May 7, 2026 (Thu): Lively files for attorneys' fees, treble damages, and punitive damages; Baldoni's lawyer publicly pushes back, says there is no NDA, and signals they will fight her request.
Us Weekly says it has reached out to Lively's team for comment. For now, we wait on the judge to decide whether Lively actually gets paid — and how much — after a settlement that was supposed to end this thing. Spoiler: it did not.