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Justin Baldoni’s lawyer is speaking out after Blake Lively requested damages following their recent settlement agreement.
Us Weekly obtained court documents on Thursday, May 7, in which Lively, 38, claimed she was “entitled” to receive damages because of the “harm” she suffered as a result of what she described as “retaliatory defamation action” by Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios in their legal battle over the production of It Ends With Us. (In December 2024, Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment, defamation, breach of contract, retaliation and more; however, 10 of the 13 claims were dismissed by a judge last month. Baldoni countersued for $400 million, but his lawsuit was dismissed entirely in June 2025.)
In the docs, Lively requested “‘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.”
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, told Entertainment Tonight on Thursday that he was surprised by Lively’s latest legal move after the parties announced on Monday, May 4, they had reached a settlement.
“I think they have their own interpretation of what they think is the law. I think it’s a procedural motion that’s left in the case. It’s pretty standard,” Freedman said. “But when you want to parade around and call a loss a victory, this is your attempt to do so. It seems like more nonsense from Ms. Lively.”
“I think it’s impossible for Ms. Lively to take responsibility for any part of her actions,” he added. “If one can’t see themselves, one can’t honestly, realistically, look at their part in things, it makes for a troubled existence.”
Earlier on Thursday, Lively’s attorneys, Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, deemed the settlement a “resounding victory” for their client and explained why they are seeking damages on her behalf.
“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,” the attorneys said. “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.”
“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,” the lawyers added.
On Thursday, Freedman was asked whether Baldoni might consider a payout to Lively in order to put an end to the legal back-and-forth between them.
He responded, “I wouldn’t want to reveal whatever my client’s confidences are, but from day one, we’ve been saying we would never settle this case, and Justin has been saying we would never settle this case if it involved an allegation of sexual harassment.”
“We’ll see how the judge rules on that,” he added of Lively’s request for damages. “I have a feeling Ms. Lively will probably continue to go back into court. … At some point, somebody’s got to look in the mirror and take responsibility for their own actions. That’s yet to happen.”
Freedman said that Baldoni is “doing as well as can be expected when you’re involved in this type of situation” and confirmed that the actor and director did not sign a nondisclosure agreement as part of Monday’s settlement.
Us Weekly has reached out to Lively’s representative and attorneys for comment.
In a statement issued earlier this week, Baldoni and Lively’s teams mutually announced the stars had reached a settlement in Lively’s lawsuit, which had been due to go to trial on May 18.
“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,” they said. “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”
The statement added, “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.”
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