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Blake Lively has suffered another financial setback in her long-running legal battle with Justin Baldoni.
A judge has ruled that Baldoni must pay the actress just over $407,000 in attorneys’ fees and litigation costs, which is a far cry from the roughly $8 million Lively had requested.
According to Page Six, Lively was awarded $363,245.40 in attorneys’ fees and another $44,206.35 in costs.
That’s certainly a substantial amount of money.
But it’s also nowhere near the staggering sum the actress had sought following her explosive legal battle with her former co-star and director.
In a June filing, Lively requested $7,495,526.87 in attorneys’ fees, along with another $539,514.01 for litigation costs and expenses.
Baldoni, meanwhile, argued that Lively’s request was excessive.
His legal team reportedly described the actress’ demand as “anything but a typical fee motion” and urged the judge to reject it or significantly reduce the amount.
The court ultimately agreed to a much smaller figure.
The ruling comes after Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement in their legal battle earlier this year.
Lively had accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her while they worked together on It Ends With Us and alleged that he participated in a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni denied the allegations and later filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
The legal war generated endless headlines, but neither Lively nor Baldoni ultimately received a financial payout as part of their settlement.
Their attorneys, however, reportedly fared much better.
Sources previously told Page Six that the legal teams on both sides earned approximately $60 million combined throughout the battle.
Following the settlement, Lively and Baldoni released a joint statement saying they hoped the resolution would allow everyone involved to “move forward constructively and in peace.”
The statement also emphasized their shared commitment to workplaces free of “improprieties and unproductive environments.”
Baldoni has since broken his silence about the bitter dispute.
Last month, the actor said he and his wife, Emily Baldoni, felt “immense gratitude” toward those who supported them throughout the ordeal.
“There have been so many painful things spoken into existence over the last couple years,” Baldoni said, explaining that they did not want to contribute to the “noise.”
“So we just wanted to let the justice system run its course,” he added (via Page Six).
Now, with the latest ruling behind her, Lively is reportedly preparing for a return to Hollywood.
But after years of headlines surrounding her legal battle with Baldoni, that comeback may be accompanied by plenty of scrutiny.
