Overview
- A federal judge ruled Friday that Baldoni and his production company must pay Lively’s attorneys’ fees under California Civil Code Section 47.1 after Baldoni’s $400 million defamation suit was dismissed.
- Judge Lewis J. Liman found no evidence that Lively acted with malice when she complained about conduct on the set of It Ends With Us, a finding that supports her entitlement to fees under the statute.
- The court denied Lively’s request for treble and punitive damages, explaining the federal procedure she used does not permit those broader remedies under the state law in this posture.
- The parties settled most claims in early May without money changing hands but preserved Lively’s right to pursue fees and to seek damages by other procedural routes; the precise fee amount will be decided later by the court.
- The ruling tests how the new California anti‑retaliation statute works in federal cases and could shape future suits by shielding some complainants from retaliatory defamation actions while limiting immediate access to extra damages.