Justin Baldoni is facing a six-figure financial consequence from his dismissed lawsuit against The New York Times. A judge ordered the actor and director’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, to reimburse the newspaper for legal fees tied to the failed defamation case.
The New York Times prevails in its legal fee fight with Justin Baldoni
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Wayfarer Studios must pay The New York Times $171,616. The award follows the dismissal of Baldoni’s $250 million defamation lawsuit against the newspaper over its reporting on Blake Lively’s complaint and the conflict surrounding “It Ends With Us.”
The order applies to Wayfarer Studios, not Baldoni personally. However, he co-founded the company and joined it in bringing the defamation claim. The Times later pursued reimbursement under New York’s anti-SLAPP law, which allows defendants to recover costs in certain cases involving protected speech.
The Times had requested $181,622.70 in attorneys’ fees. The final award came in about $10,000 below that amount. In addition, the newspaper argued that Wayfarer continued a claim without a substantial legal or factual basis after its article examined Lively’s complaint and an alleged campaign to damage her reputation.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s related claims against The Times in June 2025. He found that the lawsuit did not plausibly show the newspaper acted with actual malice, the demanding legal standard public figures must meet in defamation cases.
A source close to Wayfarer defended the decision to sue, telling TMZ that the team “fully understood the enormous risks.” The source maintained that the case allowed evidence to enter the public record and criticized Lively’s separate request for more than $8 million in legal fees.
That larger fee dispute remains unresolved. Baldoni recently challenged Lively’s request as excessive, while her side argued that defending against his $400 million lawsuit required far more discovery and legal work than The Times’ case.
The latest order follows the former co-stars’ May settlement, which ended their remaining claims without a trial or a financial payment to either side. Legal experts previously estimated that the dispute cost both parties millions before they reached an agreement.
The New York Times now has a definite award. Lively’s requested reimbursement still requires the court to decide what amount, if any, is reasonable.
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Originally reported by Misbah Pandith on Reality Tea
