The legal battle between Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni will likely get 'uglier,' attorney says
Criminal defense attorney Lexie Rigden joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the latest on the embattled legal saga between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
Blake Lively claimed the narratives labeling her a "bully" and "mean girl" across media and social platforms cost her nearly $300 million.
Lively insisted Justin Baldoni's film company and his PR firm retaliated against her after she came forward with allegations of "harassing conduct" against the actor in new court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
The "Gossip Girl" star said she lost a substantial amount of income because of the defendants’ alleged conduct, estimating her damages at roughly $34.3 million to $87.8 million. The bulk of that, according to Lively's experts, comes from missed opportunities between August 2024 and August 2029. These included major studio films and smaller independent projects to limited TV series, along with lost earnings from endorsements, speaking gigs and personal appearances.
Lively also claimed to have lost profits ranging between $39.6 million and $143.5 million from her companies – a beauty brand and beverage brand.
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Blake Lively is seeking nearly $300 million in damages in the legal case against her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni. (Getty Images)
The 38-year-old actress added an additional $40 million for damage to her reputation she says was directly caused by the false narrative painting her as a "bully," "mean girl" and "tone deaf." She claimed that coverage of the legal saga involving Baldoni and linking her to those terms racked up more than 176 million impressions across online and traditional media, while continued discussion of the allegations, her legal complaints and the actor's countersuit added another 116 million impressions.
Her legal team tacked on between $250,000 and $400,000 for the "pain and suffering, physical pain, and humiliation" Lively claimed she experienced.
Baldoni's team claimed Lively's estimated damages are inflated and unsupported. His attorneys argued that even if Lively's businesses did lose profit, she couldn't personally recover those monetary losses.
The "Jane the Virgin" star and his company are seeking a verdict of no liability and a permanent dismissal of the case.
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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are set to face off in court in May 2026. (The Hapa Blonde/GC Images)
A federal judge allowed Lively's explosive retaliation claims to move forward in the high-profile Hollywood lawsuit — highlighting what could be considered a coordinated effort by powerful insiders to manipulate public opinion and destroy the "Gossip Girl" star's reputation.
However, Judge Lewis J. Liman tossed the majority of Lively's allegations against Baldoni, including the sexual harassment and defamation accusations. The judge's ruling dramatically narrowed the case to focus only on the actress' retaliation claims and a breach of contract claim.
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Justin Baldoni's team fought back against Blake Lively's damages estimation. (Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty Images)
Baldoni and Lively first became embroiled in a legal back-and-forth after filming the Colleen Hoover-adapted film, "It Ends With Us." The "Gossip Girl" actress claimed she experienced sexual harassment on set and sued Baldoni in December 2024.
Lively detailed allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional affliction of emotional distress, negligence and more made against Baldoni and film producer Jamey Heath in a complaint first filed with the California Civil Rights Department and later in federal court.
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Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against Blake Lively was dismissed. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Baldoni insisted that Lively had "falsely" accused him in an attempt to repair her reputation following the fallout of the movie's press tour after the actress took control of the film in his own $400 million defamation lawsuit.
The actor's lawsuit has since been dismissed.
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