How Much Money Does Justin Baldoni Owe The New York Times After Failed Lawsuit?
In 2025, a judge threw out Justin Baldoni’s lawsuit against The New York Times. Baldoni filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Times as well as a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. After the judge dismissed the lawsuit, the newspaper filed a separate lawsuit to recover the legal fees it incurred. Baldoni now must pay the paper well over $100,000.
Justin Baldoni sued The New York Times
In 2024, the Times published the investigation “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.” It detailed Lively’s allegations of harassment and misconduct on the set of It Ends With Us and the alleged smear campaign against her afterward. Baldoni called the investigation defamatory and sued for $400 million.
After a judge threw out the lawsuit, the Times filed a suit “to recover costs, fees and expenses incurred by The Times in the defense of a defamation action brought by Wayfarer and parties associated with” Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios LLC (via People).
They cited New York’s anti-SLAPP law, which protects against lawsuits that could limit free speech. They sought “compensatory and punitive damages against plaintiffs who, like Wayfarer, commence or continue meritless legal claims for the purpose of ‘harassing, intimidating, punishing or otherwise maliciously inhibiting the free exercise of speech,’” noting that their legal costs were $150,000.
Justin Baldoni now must pay The New York Times’ legal fees
A judge recently ruled that Baldoni’s production company now must pay the Times $171,616.20 in damages.
“We’re delighted by the court’s decision,” they said in a statement. “The anti-SLAPP statute is designed to combat exactly these kinds of meritless suits brought to silence the press.”
The judge also denied Wayfarer’s request to pause the case in the hopes of a potential appeal.
He is also on the hook for Blake Lively’s legal fees
Baldoni also must pay Lively’s legal fees. She has said that he owes her $7,495,526.87 in attorney fees and $539,514.01 in additional costs. In a filing obtained by Rolling Stone, they accused Baldoni and Wayfarer of intentionally trying to drain Lively’s resources.
“The Wayfarer Parties employed scorched-earth litigation tactics designed to drain Lively’s resources,” her lawyers claim, adding, “They could have ended it (and offered to reimburse Lively) at any time. Having refused to do so, they should be ordered to reimburse Lively for all of the costs, attorney’s fees, and expenses they improperly forced her to incur.”
Baldoni’s lawyers have asked a judge to reduce this amount.
“Lively fails to meet her burden to present credible evidence showing that the fees and costs she seeks to recover are reasonable and, accordingly, her fee motion should be denied in its entirety,” the filing reads, per People.
They have described the number as excessive.
