Blake Lively Seeks $8 Million in Attorney Fees in Baldoni Defamation Case

Blake Lively has asked a judge to award about $8 million in attorneys’ fees and costs for defending against Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios’ defamation suit; court filings say she incurred roughly $7.5 million in fees (rates up to $2,187/hour) plus $540,000 in costs during 18 months of litigation, and argue the fee award would deter retaliatory suits against accusers. The defamation case was dismissed earlier under litigation privilege and Lively dropped her own suit on the eve of trial; Baldoni’s team will be able to respond before a sum is awarded, and the request covers only the defense of the Baldoni suit, not Lively’s own suit.