Blake Lively is asking for tens of millions of dollars in damages as her legal battle with Justin Baldoni heads to trial next month.

Court documents show the actress is claiming that her reputation—and in turn, her career—was harmed by what she describes as a smear campaign. In a filing submitted April 17, Lively's legal team outlined the financial impact of statements they say were used against her.

A marketing expert, Dr. Ashlee Humphreys of Northwestern University, calculated how widely certain phrases spread online and in media coverage.

According to the filing, words like "tone deaf," "bully," and "mean girl" reached more than 176 million impressions, which were valued between $36.5 million and $40.5 million in reputational damage, ENews reported.

The filing also pointed to comments made by Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, during the legal dispute. These statements allegedly generated nearly 117 million impressions, adding another estimated $24.3 million in damages. Combined, Lively's team is aiming for roughly $64 million in total reputational harm.

Her legal team argues that these numbers reflect how negative messaging can spread quickly and impact public perception.

By measuring impressions, they aim to show how widely the alleged campaign reached and how it could influence Lively's professional opportunities.

Justin Baldoni Denies Causing Harm to Blake Lively

On the other side, Baldoni has pushed back strongly. In a response filed April 20, he argued that Lively's reputation had already been shaped long before their dispute.

His filing stated that labels such as "mean girl" or "difficult to work with" were already circulating publicly and "did not cause further harm to her existing reputation." He also claimed that any damage she experienced was not the result of his actions.

According to Yahoo, the case has already seen some developments in court. Earlier this month, a New York judge dismissed 10 out of 13 claims brought by Lively. However, key allegations—including retaliation and breach of contract—will still move forward when the trial begins on May 18.

Importantly, the judge noted that there is "some direct evidence that the plan to destroy Lively and her career was put into action."

At the same time, the court acknowledged that both sides strongly disagree on what really happened.

"The parties fiercely dispute the extent to which the backlash against Lively was 'organic' or 'artificial,'" the judge wrote, adding that a jury will need to decide.

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