Justin Baldoni: Court orders him to pay Blake Lively's legal costs

A California court has ruled that actor Justin Baldoni must cover the legal costs incurred by Blake Lively in their recent legal dispute. However, the court rejected Lively's demand for damages after Baldoni's defamation lawsuit against her was dismissed.

The judge's decision referenced a California statute designed to shield individuals who have experienced sexual harassment from facing retaliatory legal actions intended to intimidate them. This ruling came after Lively and Baldoni settled a widely publicized lawsuit just a month prior to its scheduled trial.

Lively's legal team argued that Baldoni's defamation suit constituted an illegal act of retaliation under California law. Baldoni's attorneys, however, disputed these claims. The dispute originated from their work together on the film "It Ends With Us," where Lively reportedly raised concerns about Baldoni's on-set behavior, including discussions about his sex life and attempts to include unscripted sex scenes.

Baldoni had sued Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for defamation, seeking at least $400 million in damages. He also named The New York Times as a defendant. A U.S. judge dismissed Baldoni's lawsuit in June of the previous year. The case had been highly public, with both sides engaging in significant media attention. Earlier in April, many of Lively's accusations, including those of sexual harassment, were also dismissed by the court, leaving only a few points, such as breach of contract and reputational damage, for the trial.