Blake Lively Requests Over $160 Million in Damages amid Legal War with Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively is pursuing more than $160 million in damages as her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni continues to unfold over the film adaptation of It Ends with Us.

According to a newly unsealed court filing—originally submitted in July and made public on Wednesday, Nov. 5—Lively, 38, claims she has suffered significant losses in both past and future earnings from her acting career, as well as from speaking engagements, producing work, and public appearances.

The document outlines that Lively is seeking over $56 million in lost income and $71 million in lost business profits connected to her brands Betty Buzz, Betty Booze, and Blake Brown Beauty. It also alleges $34 million in reputational harm, based on an estimated 65 million negative social media impressions about her. These figures are preliminary and will later be supported through expert testimony.

Lively is also requesting punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and compensation for emotional distress, claiming she experienced “pain and suffering, physical pain, and humiliation,” with damages estimated between $250,000 and $400,000.

The filing includes a long list of potential witnesses, such as Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman, and comes after Baldoni’s $400 million defamation countersuit was dismissed by a judge on Oct. 31, following his legal team’s decision not to file an amended complaint. His lawyers had until June 23 to revise claims related to breach of implied covenant and tortious interference.

Back in June, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed the lawsuit filed by Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, which had alleged extortion and defamation. Judge Liman also dismissed Baldoni’s separate $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.

After the dismissal, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman issued a statement explaining the decision not to amend the complaint.

“The truth regarding this case continuously and completely gets distorted in the media,” Freedman said. “Even something as simple as a procedural update has resulted in a total mischaracterization. At this point, we have to set the record straight: no deadlines were missed. Our clients chose not to amend their complaint to preserve appeal rights.”

Freedman added, “In the meantime, we are focusing on Ms. Lively’s claims. We remain fully committed to pursuing the truth through every legal and factual avenue available and look forward to our day in court.”

Judge Liman noted that he contacted all parties on Oct. 17, warning that a final judgment would soon be entered. According to court records, Lively was the only one to respond, asking for final judgment while keeping her request for legal fees active — a request the judge approved.

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Background of the Dispute

The legal conflict began in December 2024, when Lively sued Baldoni for alleged misconduct on the set of It Ends with Us, which he directed. Her lawsuit accuses Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of fostering a hostile and discriminatory work environment, engaging in sexual harassment, and running a retaliatory smear campaign that she says derailed her career after she raised concerns. Baldoni has denied all allegations.

In June, after Baldoni’s countersuit was dismissed, Lively shared a message on her Instagram Stories reflecting on the toll of the ordeal.

“Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us,” she wrote. “While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back.”

The Gossip Girl alum added that she remains “more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman’s right to have a voice in protecting themselves — their safety, integrity, dignity, and story.”

The case is set to go to trial in March 2026 in the Southern District of New York.