Content Advisory: This article discusses sexual harassment allegations, retaliation claims, defamation litigation, domestic violence-related film themes, and reputational damage claims. Reader discretion is advised.
Blake Lively’s legal fight with Justin Baldoni may have settled, but the money battle around it is not over.
New court filings reportedly show that Lively claimed public labels like “mean girl,” “bully,” and “tone deaf” caused her around $40 million in reputational damage during the fallout from ‘It Ends With Us’.
According to reports citing the filings, Lively’s legal team estimated the alleged reputational losses at between roughly $36.5 million and $40.5 million. The figure was reportedly based on expert analysis of how widely those descriptions spread across platforms including TikTok, X, and YouTube.
The filings claim the repeated commentary generated millions of impressions and hurt Lively’s public image, professional opportunities, and standing across entertainment markets.
Lively Claims Online Labels Caused Major Damage
The alleged damage estimate centers on the way Lively was portrayed publicly during her dispute with Baldoni.
Her team reportedly argued that the repeated use of terms like “mean girl” and “bully” created measurable harm. Those labels became part of the online conversation around Lively after the legal fight over ‘It Ends With Us’ became public.
The case began in December 2024, when Lively sued Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios. She accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation during and after the making of the film.
Baldoni denied the allegations and later sued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist for defamation and extortion. He claimed Lively’s complaints were false and part of an effort to gain creative control over the movie. His countersuit was later dismissed by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
Baldoni’s Team Pushes Back On Fee Request
Although Lively and Baldoni reached a settlement in early May, the dispute returned to court over Lively’s request for attorneys’ fees and damages.
Baldoni’s attorney, Ellyn Garofalo, argued in federal court that Lively was trying to get a second version of the trial through the fee request.
Garofalo called the move “an end run around the jury trial” that never happened after both sides settled before the scheduled May trial.
She argued that reopening the issue would require more discovery, new experts, and more expert depositions.
Baldoni’s side also emphasized that Lively had dismissed her claims without Baldoni or Wayfarer paying any of the $300 million in damages she had previously sought.
Lively’s Team Says Law Protects Her
Lively’s attorney, Michael Gottlieb, argued that Baldoni’s dismissed countersuit was exactly the type of litigation a California law was meant to address. The law allows penalties against parties who file unsuccessful retaliatory defamation actions against people who bring sexual harassment or retaliation claims.
Gottlieb argued that Lively should be allowed to recover costs because Baldoni’s lawsuit created the kind of prolonged and damaging legal fight the statute was designed to discourage.
Judge Liman did not immediately rule after hearing more than an hour of arguments.
‘It Ends With Us’ Case Still Leaves Fallout
Liman previously dismissed Lively’s federal sexual harassment claims, ruling that she could not bring them under federal law because she was an independent contractor rather than an employee on the film set.
Lively had alleged that Baldoni made inappropriate comments about her appearance, violated physical boundaries while filming a romantic scene, and pushed for a birth scene to include exposure against her wishes.
Baldoni denied wrongdoing and said the allegations were part of the normal creative process of making a film.
After the settlement, both sides released a joint statement saying they remained proud of ‘It Ends With Us’ and recognized that Lively’s concerns “deserved to be heard.”
The movie, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel about a relationship turning abusive, was released in August 2024 and exceeded box office expectations despite criticism over how it handled abuse.
For Lively, the case may be settled on paper. But with a reported $40 million reputational damage claim now in the court conversation, the public cost of the fight is still being counted.
