'Gossip Girl'-famous actress Blake Lively suffered another humiliation during her lawsuit with a director.
Page Six, a U.S. entertainment outlet, reported on the 26th (local time) that Blake Lively demanded that Justin Baldoni pay $8 million (Hanwha about 11 billion won) in legal expense but received a humiliating outcome.
The outlet reported that after Blake Lively demanded $8 million in legal expense from Justin Baldoni, she received only about $400,000 (Hanwha about 550 million won) for attorney fees.
According to court documents, Judge J. Lehman ruled that Baldoni must pay Lively about $407,000 for attorney fees and additional litigation expense. Judge Lehman described Lively's $8 million demand as a "ridiculously unreasonable demand."
This humiliating blow was reportedly handed down the day after Lively's 39th birthday.
Lively's legal team said in a statement that "Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer lost a baseless $400 million retaliatory lawsuit. Two courts found that the lawsuit was filed to suppress public criticism and to silence Lively and others," and added, "This ruling is historically significant as the first case in California courts to award attorney fees and litigation expense, and it shows that there are real consequences for bringing retaliatory lawsuits."
They also said, "From the beginning Lively's lawsuit was never about money. It was about holding people accountable," and "Lively's suit exposed the industry of secret online smear campaigns targeting women and, shockingly, revealed that the same individuals were involved. She lifted the veil for other victims and set a precedent that allows others to expose similar behavior and speak out."
Baldoni's attorney said, "Judge Lehman clearly considered the 'ridiculous and unreasonable' demand of more than $8 million and, instead of accepting it, recognized only 5% of the legal and litigation expense Lively sought. This ruling is a significant victory for Baldoni and sends a clear message that no matter how powerful someone is, they should not use the courts as a place to pursue personal gain."
Lively and Baldoni worked together on the film 'We're the End.' But afterward Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni in 2024 alleging that he 'sexually harassed her on set,' triggering a dispute that was resolved in a settlement last May.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), still from the film "We're the End."
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