Blake Lively Is ‘Angry’ After Judge Ordered Justin Baldoni to Pay Less Than $400K in Legal Fees

Blake Lively is reportedly unhappy after a judge ordered Justin Baldoni to pay the Gossip Girl alum less than $400,000 in legal fees.

“Blake is angry, frustrated and absolutely convinced she deserved more,” a source told Rob Shuter for his Naughty But Nice Substack on Thursday, August 27. “She thought she could appeal, keep fighting and eventually get the massive victory she wanted. She still doesn’t understand that sometimes the smartest move is to stop.”

The A Simple Favor actress, 39, accused Baldoni, 42, of sexual harassment on the set of their 2024 film It Ends With Us, based on the bestselling Colleen Hoover novel.

Lively was seeking nearly $8 million dollars from Baldoni after settling their lengthy legal battle in May, just two weeks before they were supposed to go to trial.

However, Judge Lewis J. Liman called Lively’s request an “outrageously unreasonable demand,” Page Six reported on Wednesday.

“She wanted millions because she wanted a number that screamed vindication,” the source told Shuter. “Instead, she got a fraction of what she demanded, and she’s humiliated.”

Despite her embarrassment, Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, has been “incredibly supportive.”

“But, even he’s telling her: enough,” Shuter reported. “He wants their lives back. He understands that continuing to fight every battle can become its own defeat. Blake still believes walking away means losing.”

The source added, “Everyone around Blake sees the lesson except Blake. She remains convinced the problem is the outcome — not her expectations. That’s why moving on is proving so difficult.”

Following Judge Liman’s ruling — which was issued on Lively’s 39th birthday, Tuesday, August 25 — the actress’ attorneys issued a statement.

“As we have said from day one, Blake Lively’s case was never about money – it was about accountability,” Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb told Page Six. “She lifted the curtain for other victims, and set the precedent for others to come forward and expose similar conduct.”