Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's 'legal fight cost millions'
New York-based attorney Richard Schoenstein has discussed the impact of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal battle.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal battle is likely to have cost "millions" of dollars, according to an expert.
The 38-year-old actress and Justin, 42, became locked in a high-profile legal dispute in December 2024, and although they recently reached an out-of-court settlement agreement, it is likely to have come at a high cost to both parties.
Asked about the probable cost of their legal expenses, New York-based attorney Richard Schoenstein told People: "Millions. The combined legal expense is in the multiple millions.
"There are around 1,500 docket entries, countless lawyers on both sides, and these are high-priced firms billing well over $1,000 an hour."
Schoenstein thinks both parties came to the conclusion that a settlement was the most sensible approach.
He said: "I think they settled because the case wasn't worth it at this point for either of them.
"The case had been reduced — his counterclaims were dismissed, and her claims were substantially narrowed. There wasn't enough to gain from going to trial given the cost, which would have been extremely high, in the millions."
Megan Thomas, the founder of Megan Thomas Law, PLLC in New York, also observed that both parties are likely to have spent an "obscene amount" on the legal battle.
She added: "I can't give a number, but both sides had multiple lawyers."
Thomas wasn't surprised that they decided to settle out of court, either.
She said: "I see cases settle at key points, often right before filing or right before trial.
"Right before a case goes public, the value is often at its highest. Once it becomes public, the value can go down. Another common time is right before trial — we often say cases settle on the courthouse steps, which is what happened here."
The legal dispute began in December 2024, when Blake accused Justin - who starred in and directed It Ends With Us - of sexual harassment and co-ordinating a smear campaign against her.
Justin - who played Blake's on-screen love interest in the movie - and his Wayfarer Studios production company subsequently countersued the actress and her husband, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing the Hollywood couple of defamation and extortion.
