Hollywood star Blake Lively made headlines after she returned to the Met Gala 2026 just hours later, settling her legal war with Justin Baldoni. For the unversed, this controversy began in December 2024 after she sued him for s*xual harassment, fat shaming, and intentional reputation damage after some conflict on the sets of It Ends With Us. And now, as the battle ends, here’s how much this has cost to both the actors.
About Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni’s Legal Settlement
Blake and Justin’s legal war went on for more than a year, and it wasn’t cheap. According to a report by PEOPLE, a New York-based attorney called Richard Schoenstein stated that both of their legal expenses were in the millions. He said, “There are around 1,500 docket entries, countless lawyers on both sides, and these are high-priced firms billing well over USD 1000 an hour.” On the other hand, the founder of Meghan Thomas Law, PLLC’s attorney, revealed that it would have cost them an ‘obscene amount.’ Having said that, it’s important to note that neither of them has any direct connection to the It Ends With Us legal battle.
Experts suggest that this settlement comes after the costs had been piling up, along with the reputation of an ongoing legal battle. Richard said, “The case had been reduced — his counterclaims were dismissed, and her claims were substantially narrowed. There wasn’t enough to gain from going to trial, given the cost, which would have been extremely high, in the millions.” Amid this, Meghan said that Blake and Justin settling the case at this stage reveals how such cases often end.
She alleged that a case’s value is often high before it goes public and only dips after that. It’s worth mentioning that both of them believe that, apart from money, reputation also plays a big role in resolving disputes. Especially after both Lively and Baldoni’s joint statement, which was more favourable for the former, suggested that her claims were the ones that deserved to be heard.
Patriarchy's worst nightmare (with a cute smile). An introvert walking around with Bollywood Music in the background who will avoid meeting you in public. I write about pop culture, fashion, and everything controversial.
