Blake Lively requested financial damages after her shocking settlement with Justin Baldoni over their It Ends With Us legal dispute.
Lively, 38, filed a notice of settlement, in which she requested damages to cover her attorneys’ fees and costs, as well as compensatory and punitive damages, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, May 7.
“Ms. Lively respectfully requests a ruling that she is a ‘prevailing defendant’ … and, as such, that she is entitled to: her ‘reasonable attorney’s fees and costs for successfully defending [herself] in the litigation,’ treble damages for the harm caused by the Wayfarer Parties’ retaliatory ‘defamation action’ against her and punitive damages sufficient to deter the Wayfarer Parties from engaging in such conduct in the future,” the court docs read, referencing Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios. “Following those legal determinations, Ms. Lively respectfully requests that the Court set a schedule for the submission of affidavits and a decision, after an evidentiary hearing, if necessary.”
Lively further claimed that she is “entitled” to receive damages because of the “harm” she suffered as a result of the defendants’ “retaliatory defamation action.”
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Lively’s attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson issued a statement on the new motion.
“This settlement is a resounding victory for Blake Lively,” her attorneys told Us on Thursday. “By agreeing to this settlement, and waiving their right to appeal, Justin Baldoni and every individual defendant now face personal liability for abusing the legal system to silence and intimidate Ms. Lively. And by admitting that Ms. Lively’s concerns ‘deserved to be heard,’ the defendants have ended once and for all the fiction that Ms. Lively ‘fabricated’ claims of sexual harassment and retaliation.”
The lawyers added, “From day one, Blake Lively’s mission was clear: expose and hold accountable those who weaponize smear campaigns and retaliatory lawsuits to intimidate and silence survivors. That mission continues.”
After news of the settlement first made headlines on Monday, May 4, Lively and Baldoni’s attorneys addressed the decision in a statement to Us.
“The end product — the movie It Ends With Us — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind,” the lawyers stated, hours before the 2026 Met Gala was held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”
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The statement continued, “We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”
Hours after the settlement was confirmed, Lively stepped out to attend one of New York’s most fashionable events of the year.
The Gossip Girl alum dressed for the “Costume Art” theme by opting to wear a Donatella Versace gown pulled from the 2006 archives. (This year’s event marked Lively’s first Met Gala appearance since 2022.)
Despite reports suggesting otherwise, a source exclusively confirmed to Us that the actress was invited to the star-studded event as a guest of Vogue and Condé Nast’s global chief content officer and artistic director Anna Wintour.
Lively has found herself in the headlines ever since she sued Baldoni, his publicity team and a series of other defendants in December 2024. At the time, the actress alleged that she was retaliated against for coming forward with sexual harassment allegations against Baldoni.
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Baldoni — who directed and starred alongside Lively in the Colleen Hoover adaptation — strongly denied the allegations and maintained his innocence throughout the legal battle. Although he countersued Lively, a judge dismissed his lawsuit against the actress in June 2025.
In April, Lively faced a legal setback of her own when a judge ruled that most of her legal claims against Baldoni, including allegations of defamation, harassment and conspiracy, would be dismissed.
Before a settlement was reached, jury selection for the trial was expected to begin on Monday, May 18.
