Justin Baldoni legal fees order sends $171,616 to The New York Times
Wayfarer Studios must pay The New York Times $171,616 after Justin Baldoni’s failed defamation suit, according to legal documents.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Justin Baldoni legal fees are now a very real bill: his Wayfarer Studios has been ordered to pay The New York Times $171,616 after his lawsuit against the newspaper was dismissed, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ.
The fee order comes out of Baldoni’s broader court fight tied to Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and the behind-the-scenes fallout from the film “It Ends With Us.” TMZ reports that a judge previously threw out Baldoni and Wayfarer’s case against The Times, along with another suit against Lively.
Baldoni and Wayfarer had sued Lively and Reynolds for $400 million, according to TMZ. They also pursued a $250 million case against The New York Times, alleging defamation over its reporting on the “It Ends With Us” set controversy.
According to TMZ, Baldoni alleged the newspaper’s story was part of a smear campaign against him. The Times responded with its own claim under New York’s anti-SLAPP law.
What legal fees did Justin Baldoni have to pay?
The current order requires Wayfarer Studios to pay The New York Times $171,616 in legal fees, according to the legal documents cited by TMZ. That amount is separate from the legal-fee dispute involving Blake Lively.
Anti-SLAPP laws are designed to protect people and publishers from lawsuits that target speech on matters of public concern. In its filing, The Times sought compensatory and punitive damages against plaintiffs who bring or continue claims it described as meritless and aimed at interfering with free speech, according to TMZ.
The newspaper’s claim accused Wayfarer of using litigation to harass, intimidate, punish or maliciously inhibit the exercise of speech, TMZ reported, quoting the filing.
How Blake Lively fits into the case
The same legal war has also produced a separate fee fight involving Lively. TMZ previously reported that a federal judge ruled Baldoni and Wayfarer must pay Lively’s legal fees as well.
That number has not been finalized in court, according to TMZ. Lively is seeking a little more than $8 million, the outlet reported.
The dispute traces back to Baldoni and Wayfarer’s allegations over coverage and claims surrounding drama on the “It Ends With Us” set. The lawsuits placed Baldoni, Lively, Reynolds, Wayfarer Studios and The New York Times in a sprawling celebrity legal battle with enormous dollar figures attached.
For now, the first fixed number in the fee fight is the one going to The Times: $171,616, according to the documents obtained by TMZ. The larger legal-fee request from Lively remains unresolved.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.