Blake Lively has made her first public appearance alongside husband Ryan Reynolds since a judge delivered a bruising verdict on her legal fee claim — awarding her just over $407,000 of the roughly $8 million she had sought from Justin Baldoni in the wake of their protracted and deeply personal court battle.
The couple were photographed on Friday evening strolling through New York City, joined by Lively's half-sister Robyn Lively in what appeared to be a deliberate show of solidarity two days after U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman handed down his ruling on Wednesday.
A Family United
The outing had every appearance of a quiet, defiant display of togetherness. Lively, who looked relaxed and was seen smiling during the walk, wore brown overalls over a black vest top, accessorised with chunky gold jewellery and loafers. Robyn, 54, kept it casual in a double-denim look, while Reynolds, 49, went for a grey sweater, black trousers and a newsboy cap.
Robyn has been one of Blake's most vocal supporters throughout the saga. When Lively first filed a complaint against Baldoni in December 2024 accusing him of sexual harassment, her sister took to Instagram to write: 'FINALLY justice for my sister @blakelively.' She was equally effusive when Baldoni's countersuit was dismissed, declaring: 'No one knows you quite like I do, and man am I ever proud of you.'
Reynolds, who married Blake in 2012 and shares four children with her, struck a similar note earlier this year, telling viewers of Sunday Sitdown in April that he has 'never been more proud' of his partner.
The Ruling That Stung
The legal fees decision, while still technically a win for Lively, landed far short of what her team had requested. She had sought $7,495,526.87 in attorneys' fees plus $539,514.01 in litigation costs. Judge Liman found the request to be an 'outrageously unreasonable demand,' ruling instead that Baldoni must pay $363,245.40 in attorneys' fees and a further $44,206.35 in court costs — roughly five per cent of the total claimed.
The ruling comes under California Civil Code Section 47.1, a statute designed to protect individuals who report sexual misconduct from retaliatory defamation suits. Lively's legal team, led by Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb, say this marks the first-ever fee award under the statute — a milestone they are treating as significant regardless of the reduced sum.
The case was never about money — it was about accountability.
Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, naturally saw it differently, arguing that the rejection of 95 per cent of Lively's fee request 'sends a clear message that, no matter how powerful you may be, the courtroom is not a place to take advantage of the law for your own personal gain.'
How It All Unfolded
The dispute began in December 2024 when Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, alleging that Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, orchestrated an online smear campaign against her in retaliation for sexual harassment complaints made during filming of It Ends With Us. Baldoni denied the allegations and countersued for $400 million, accusing Lively of fabricating harassment claims in order to gain creative control of the film.
In April 2026, Judge Liman dismissed ten of Lively's thirteen claims, including those relating to sexual harassment and defamation, on the grounds that she had been engaged as an independent contractor rather than an employee — a jurisdictional issue that removed those claims from the court's authority.
The pair settled their remaining claims in May 2026, just two weeks before the scheduled trial date, with neither side receiving any financial compensation.
Baldoni himself broke his silence on the matter in a July Instagram video posted alongside his wife, Emily Baldoni. 'There have been so many painful things spoken into existence over the last couple of years,' he told his followers. 'That created so much noise, and we didn't want to add to the noise. So we just wanted to let the justice system run its course.'
The truth and facts have spoken for themselves, and here we are. — Emily Baldoni
What Comes Next
The fee award is expected to represent the final court decision in one of the most high-profile celebrity legal battles in recent memory — an 18-month dispute that drew fierce public debate and placed both stars' reputations squarely in the spotlight. For Blake Lively, Friday night's calm family walk through Manhattan may be exactly the image she needs right now: composed, supported, and ready to move on.
