Blake Lively will be getting some money from Justin Baldoni out of what happening during the making of It Ends With Us and the reputational fallout in the summer of 2024.

“Lively is entitled to fees and costs,” wrote Judge Lewis Liman today in deeply reasoned 47-page order.

Following the 11th hour settlement in May between the IEWU co-stars just before what many assumed would be a trial as messy and bitter as the legal fight that preceded it, Lively and her lawyers argued that California’s  2023-introduced Protecting Survivors from Weaponized Defamation Lawsuits Act (AKA Civil Code Section 47.1) permitted the Another Simple Favor actress attorneys fees and damages, a lot of damages.

With recent oral arguments before Judge Liman in federal court in Manhattan, the respected judicial officer and brother of director Doug Liman respectfully disagreed, sort of. For one thing, Judge Liman noted his order “leaves the door open” for Livley going after damages “by other means (like an independent lawsuit or a counterclaim), including in federal court.”

Still, to that end, today’s ruling is about the lawyers getting paid.

“In the end, and stepping back, the policy Section 47.1 achieves is far simpler than the analysis its application requires: The statute ensures that if a plaintiff invokes California law to bring a defamation claim against a defendant for making statements regarding sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination, and the defendant succeeds in dismissing the claim, the plaintiff must pay the defendant’s legal fees and costs unless it turns out that the statements were made with malice,” Judge Liman wrote. “Lively made statements that come within the purview of Section 47.1, she prevailed on her defense, and—on this record—there is no evidence of malice. Accordingly, she is entitled to attorneys’ fees under Section 47.1.“

Reps for Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios brass did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment on the order. On the other hand, Blake Lively’s team had a lot to say, amidst celebrations of sorts.

“Blake Lively won her motion under Civil Code Section 47.1,” Lively’s lawyers Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb told Deadline Friday. “Today’s ruling makes it clear that Ms. Lively brought her claims in good faith, that there was no evidence she acted with malice, and that she is the prevailing defendant under Section 47.1.”

They added: “The Court is awarding Ms. Lively attorneys’ fees and costs and has explained that a prevailing defendant under Section 47.1 may seek damages using different procedural mechanisms. The parties’ settlement agreement expressly preserves Ms. Lively’s rights to obtain those damages. Ms. Lively is gratified that her lawsuit shows how Section 47.1 and laws like it create a path for survivors to hold accountable those who weaponize online attacks and retaliatory lawsuits to intimidate and silence survivors.”

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