The legal fight between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has taken a new turn. The actress says she lost $64 million because of a smear campaign she blames on her It Ends With Us co-star and director. Court papers filed on April 17, 2026, show Lively is asking for money to cover the damage done to her name and career.
The case goes to trial on May 18, 2026, in New York. A federal judge already threw out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims, including sexual harassment charges. But three claims about retaliation and breaking contract rules will be decided by a jury. The judge said there is “some direct evidence that the plan to destroy Lively and her career was put into action.”
How the ‘Mean Girl’ Label Cost Blake Lively Millions
Lively’s legal team hired an expert, Dr. Ashlee Humphreys, a professor at Northwestern University, to calculate the damage. The expert looked at how many people saw certain words used against Lively online. The words included “tone deaf,” “bully,” and “mean girl.” These words reached 176,738,781 impressions across the internet.
The expert said those impressions caused financial harm worth between $36.5 million and $40.5 million. More statements from Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, added another 116,959,530 impressions. Those cost Lively an extra $24,375,267.
Total Damages Reach Close to $300 Million
The $64 million figure only covers reputational harm from the alleged smear campaign. Lively is seeking much more money in total. She wants over $290 million in damages from Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios.
Here is how the numbers break down:
- Lost income from acting work: Between $34.3 million and $87.8 million from missed movie, TV, and independent projects between August 2024 and August 2029
- Lost profits from her businesses: Between $39.6 million and $143.5 million for her companies Betty Booze (alcohol) and Blake Brown (haircare)
- Pain and suffering: Between $250,000 and $400,000 for emotional and physical harm
Lively’s legal team says the fight with Baldoni destroyed chances for future work. Her expert claims most of the lost income comes from opportunities that disappeared during the legal battle.
Baldoni’s Team Fires Back at the Claims
Baldoni’s lawyers did not stay quiet. They filed their own papers on April 17 pushing back hard. They argue Lively already had a difficult reputation before working with Baldoni. His team says words like “mean girl” and “bully” were used to describe her long before the It Ends With Us filming started.
“The evidence will show that Blake Lively had already damaged her own reputation well before she ever met or worked with Mr. Baldoni,” his filing stated. They claim the alleged smear campaign “did not cause further harm to her existing reputation.”
Baldoni’s lawyers also pointed out that a judge threw out Lively’s sexual harassment claims. They said this shows her main accusations had no legal basis. But the judge did allow the retaliation claims to move forward, which means a jury will still hear about the alleged smear campaign.
What the Judge Said About the Smear Campaign
Judge Lewis Liman wrote a 152-page ruling explaining his decisions. He dismissed the sexual harassment claims because of legal technicalities. The alleged bad behavior happened in New Jersey, not California, where Lively filed those charges. Also, Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee, which changed the legal rules.
But on the smear campaign, the judge was clear. He wrote that the two sides “fiercely dispute” whether the backlash against Lively was “organic or artificial.”
“A jury can and should decide these questions,” Judge Liman wrote. “There is some direct evidence that the plan to destroy Lively and her career was put into action.”
This means the trial starting May 18 will focus on whether Baldoni and his team ran a secret campaign to destroy Lively’s good name. The judge allowed three claims to go to trial: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting retaliation.
Background of the It Ends With Us Legal Battle
The fight started in 2024 on the set of It Ends With Us, a movie based on Colleen Hoover’s popular book. Lively played the lead role of Lily Bloom. Baldoni starred and directed. The movie made over $351 million worldwide.
Lively sued Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios in December 2024. She said he sexually harassed her and created a dangerous work environment. She also said when she spoke up, he fought back by trying to ruin her name.
Baldoni denied everything and sued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times for $400 million. A judge threw out his case in 2025, saying his team did not meet legal standards.
The legal fight includes messages between Lively and Taylor Swift that became public. The singer’s name came up in court papers about the movie’s production.
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What Happens Next
The trial starts May 18, 2026, in a New York federal court. Lively plans to testify about what happened. Her lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, said Lively will continue “to shine a light on this vicious form of online retaliation.”
The case has grabbed Hollywood’s attention because it asks big questions. Can celebrities destroy each other using hidden public relations campaigns? How do you measure damage to someone’s name online? And where is the line between protecting yourself and attacking someone else?
Baldoni’s team says they are ready to fight the remaining claims. They pointed out that the judge removed all sexual harassment charges and cleared other individual defendants, including Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath.
For now, both sides are getting ready for a trial that could change how Hollywood handles on-set conflicts and online reputation battles. The jury will decide if the “mean girl” label was fair criticism or a weapon used to destroy a career.
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