Blake Lively faced another legal setback this week after a federal judge denied her request to submit more filings in her ongoing dispute with Justin Baldoni over legal fees tied to their "It Ends With Us" court battle.

Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that he did not need any additional arguments or evidence before deciding whether Lively should receive attorneys' fees or damages. The decision came just days after both sides reached a surprise settlement that avoided a scheduled New York trial.

Court records showed that Lively wanted to file extra briefs and present more information to support her claim that Baldoni should pay her legal costs connected to his failed $400 million defamation lawsuit.

According to reports, the actress is also seeking compensatory and punitive damages, US Magazine reported.

The ruling marks another blow for Lively after earlier court decisions trimmed down several of her legal claims. Last month, a judge dismissed many parts of her sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Baldoni, though the actress continued pushing for damages and legal fees.

Lively's legal team described the settlement as a victory for the actress.

Judge Rejects Blake Lively's Latest Court Request

In a statement, her attorneys said Baldoni and the other defendants "waived their right to appeal" and argued that the agreement proved her concerns "deserved to be heard." They also claimed the lawsuit against Lively was meant to intimidate her after she accused Baldoni of misconduct during the making of "It Ends With Us."

Baldoni's lawyers strongly disagreed with that view.

According to Daily Mail, Attorney Bryan Freedman called the settlement a "total victory" for his client and pointed out that the court had already dismissed most of Lively's claims, including all sexual harassment and defamation accusations.

"The court had already dismissed 10 of Ms. Lively's 13 claims," Freedman said, adding that the remaining dispute only involves a narrow request for legal fees that has been pending since 2025.

The legal fight began in December 2024 when Lively accused Baldoni, her co-star and director in "It Ends With Us," of sexual harassment, retaliation, and helping create a smear campaign against her.

Baldoni denied the allegations and later countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others for defamation. That countersuit was eventually dismissed.

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