Blake Lively's birthday came with some bad news. After celebrating her 39th birthday on August 25, her long-running legal battle with Justin Baldoni came crashing back into the headlines.
© GettyOn August 26, TMZ revealed that a federal judge ruled that Lively would receive just over $407,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs from Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. It's crumbs compared to the more than $8 million she had requested.
Judge Lewis J. Liman awarded Lively $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees and another $44,206.35 in costs. The timing makes the ruling an especially rough follow-up.
Lively had asked the court to award her $7,495,526.87 in attorneys’ fees and $539,514.01 in costs related to defending herself against Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit. Her legal team argued that the amount reflected the extensive work required to fight what they characterized as a retaliatory lawsuit.
Baldoni’s side strongly disagreed and in July asked the judge to reject Lively’s request or dramatically reduce the amount, arguing that the case had been overstaffed and that her lawyers had billed more than 7,000 hours.
© GettyStill, neither side is treating the ruling as a loss. Lively’s attorneys Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb told TMZ that Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties had lost what they described as a retaliatory $400 million lawsuit, calling the award “historic” and arguing that the decision showed there were consequences for retaliatory litigation. They also connected the case to broader allegations involving secret online smear campaigns targeting women.
Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman took a very different view. Speaking to TMZ, Freedman said the ruling was a “significant victory” for his clients, particularly because the judge rejected the vast majority of Lively’s request.
© GettyHe also argued that California’s Section 47.1 law was applied in ways he believes it was not originally intended to be used. “Notwithstanding the fact that the law was applied in ways it was never intended for,” Freedman said, his clients intentionally agreed to leave the issue without appellate rights as part of the settlement.
He also took a parting shot at Lively, saying the decision showed that “no matter how powerful you may be, the courtroom is not a place to take advantage of the law for your own personal gain.”
The ruling comes after nearly two years of legal fighting between the former It Ends With Us co-stars.
Ryan Reynolds celebrates Blake's life
© GettyWhile it may not be the outcome she wanted, Lively is still alive, healthy, and happy in love with a family. On August 26, a day after her birthday, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, celebrated his wife’s birthday with a series of photos and an emotional message, calling Lively “the very best human I know”
"August 25th is this family’s Super Bowl™️," he began in the caption. The Deadpool star went on to call her "genius," writing, "You’re not just another courageous and deeply kind genius. You’re also unreasonably cute."
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupHe continued to gush about his wife of nearly 14 years, "I know how lucky I am that you were born. Every time I’ve ever hit my head, it’s YOUR life that flashes before my eyes.'"
