Actress Blake Lively was awarded $407,451 in attorneys’ fees and other costs after US District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that she could recover only a fraction of the $8 million she sought from former co-star Justin Baldoni. The award comprised $363,245 in attorneys’ fees and $44,206 in costs for defending against Baldoni’s defamation complaint, which was dismissed in 2025. Liman said Lively had sought reimbursement for more people, hours and intertwined expenses than were necessary for that claim. The award was made under a 2023 California law intended to protect sexual harassment accusers from retaliatory defamation lawsuits. Lively initially sued Baldoni over alleged sexual harassment and retaliation, while Baldoni denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign. Parts of Lively’s lawsuit were later dismissed, and the pair subsequently agreed to settle the wider case. Both sides described the fee ruling as a victory.