Overview
- A federal judge ordered a Manhattan hearing on Monday to resolve Blake Lively’s request that Justin Baldoni cover her attorneys’ fees and award treble and punitive damages tied to his dismissed $400 million defamation suit.
- Lively’s filing asks the court to apply California Civil Code Section 47.1, a 2023 law designed to deter retaliatory defamation claims against people who report harassment and to permit fee recovery and enhanced damages.
- The parties reached a confidential settlement in early May that ended most claims and waived appeals, but the fees and enhanced damages issue remained unresolved and is now the final open matter in the litigation.
- Judge Lewis J. Liman previously dismissed most of Lively’s federal claims and found that Lively’s statements to the California Civil Rights Department were privileged, a ruling that helped lead to the dismissal of Baldoni’s countersuit.
- Legal teams told the court opposing views on Monday, with Baldoni’s lawyer saying the fee bid would re-litigate settled issues and Lively’s counsel saying the defamation suit was exactly what the 2023 law was meant to stop, and Liman reserved decision.