Overview
- U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled on Friday, June 12, 2026, that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios must pay Lively’s attorneys’ fees under California Civil Code Section 47.1 but denied her request for treble and punitive damages.
- Liman found no evidence that Lively acted with malice when making her allegations, a finding that allowed the Section 47.1 privilege to apply and supported the award of fees.
- The court did not set a dollar amount for fees and ordered further filings so judges can review Lively’s billing records and determine a reasonable award.
- Lively and Baldoni settled their broader dispute in early May on terms that reportedly involved no money changing hands and that preserved Lively’s right to seek damages by other procedural routes.
- Legal experts say the ruling is an early federal test of the 2023 California law and could shape how courts handle retaliatory defamation claims, the scope of remedies available, and how survivors and defendants approach similar suits going forward.