{
  "id": 3885862,
  "title": "Blake Lively awarded $400,000 of $8m she claimed for legal fees in Baldoni battle",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/blake-lively-awarded-400-000-of-8m-she-claimed-for-legal-fees-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-28T03:35:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/blake-lively-awarded-400000-of-8m-she-claimed-for-legal-fees-in-baldoni-battle/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Actress Blake Lively has received a portion of the $8 million she originally sought to cover her legal fees following a defamation battle with her former co-star, Justin Baldoni. The California judge awarded her $400,000 (£340,000) from the total amount claimed. Lively initially sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation following their collaboration on the 2024 film \"It Ends With Us.\" After he countersued for defamation, a judge dismissed his complaint in 2025. Lively argued she should receive $7.5 million (£6.4 million) in legal fees and costs, but the judge determined she should only receive $407,451. The judge deemed her request excessive, noting she claimed fees for unnecessary additional costs and time spent defending the defamation claim. Lawyer Bryan Freedman commented that the ruling sends a strong message against using the legal system for personal gain.",
  "summary": "Actress Blake Lively has been awarded $400,000 (£340,000) of the $8m (£6.9m) she tried to claim from her former co-star Justin Baldoni to cover her legal fees and costs to fight a defamation case he brought.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Blake Lively awarded $400,000 of $8m she claimed for legal fees in Baldoni battle",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/blake-lively-awarded-400-000-of-8m-she-claimed-for-legal-fees-in",
        "published": "2026-08-27T14:18:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}