Blake Lively seeks $8 million in legal fees from Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively is asking a judge to order Justin Baldoni to pay $8 million in legal costs after settling their dispute over the film 'It Ends With Us.' The amount includes nearly $7.5 million in attorney's fees from two law firms and about $500,000 in other expenses Source: AP NewsSource: SCMP.

The settlement and legal fees

Lively and Baldoni settled last month just before trial, with Lively receiving no monetary payment. However, a judge ruled that she is entitled to recover costs incurred defending against Baldoni's countersuit, citing a California law protecting sexual harassment victims from retaliatory lawsuits Source: AP News. Lively's lawyers argue Baldoni used 'scorched-earth litigation tactics' to drain her resources Source: AP News. One of her lawyers, Michael Gottlieb, charged an average hourly rate of $2,187—a discount from his usual $2,795—and billed 224 hours on the countersuit defense Source: SCMP.

Disagreements and context

Baldoni denied Lively's claims of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign, accusing her of fabricating complaints to seize creative control Source: AP News. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Lively's sexual harassment claims on grounds that she was an independent contractor, not an employee. He also threw out Baldoni's countersuit, allowing Lively to seek reimbursement Source: AP News. The requested $8 million must still be approved by the judge.