Did Blake Lively just serve us the most delicious legal victory of the summer? Because honey, this courtroom drama is absolutely *chef’s kiss* and we are LIVING for every second of it.
Our girl Blake Lively just got a major win in her ongoing legal battle with her It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni. While she originally asked for a jaw-dropping $8 MILLION in attorney fees—because apparently she really wanted to make a statement—a judge decided to meet her somewhere in the middle. Blake was awarded $363,245.40 to cover her legal expenses, which, let’s be real, is still nothing to sneeze at. Apparently even partially winning feels like a full victory when you’re facing down a courtroom showdown with a costar.
According to court documents filed on Wednesday, August 26, the judge granted Lively’s request in part while denying other portions. Translation? Blake didn’t get everything she asked for, but she got ENOUGH, and that’s what we call a strategic power move. The 39-year-old actress was basically told, “Girl, you deserve compensation for all those attorney hours, but let’s keep it cute.” And honestly? We respect the judicial shade.
This whole situation has been messier than a reality TV reunion special, with the two former costars settling their legal battle after things got absolutely spicy behind the scenes during filming. The fact that Blake went after Baldoni’s wallet for legal fees tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about how serious this dispute was. This wasn’t just a “we had creative differences” situation—this was full-on legal warfare, and Blake came prepared with receipts, documents, and apparently an army of expensive attorneys.
Fans have been absolutely DIVIDED over this whole ordeal, with some Team Blake members celebrating her win like she just won an Oscar, while others think everyone involved should’ve just kept things private. The internet has been BUZZING about who really had the upper hand in these settlement negotiations, and speculation is running rampant about what went down on set that was serious enough to require six-figure legal fees.
What’s particularly sassy about this whole situation is that Blake didn’t just accept defeat quietly—she went to court and made Baldoni pay for the privilege of fighting with her. That’s the kind of energy we can only admire from a distance while sipping our tea.
What do you think? A) Blake Lively handled this like a total boss and deserves every penny B) This whole situation should’ve been kept behind closed doors