'Mean Girl,' 'Bully,' 'Tone Deaf': Blake Lively Says Justin Baldoni's Labels Reached 176 Million People and Cost Her Millions

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's legal feud has taken a new course. The battle has been going on since December 2024, with fans of both stars rallying in support. According to latest updates, Lively has claimed that the “mean girl” tag applied to her amid her ongoing legal dispute with Baldoni has cost her more than $50 million.

Lively is seeking $161 million from Wayfarer Studios—co-founded by Baldoni and the producer of It Ends With Us—due to the purported smear campaign, which includes significant losses in past and future earnings, as well as additional damages to her haircare and beverage businesses.

Lively's attorneys have filed new motions ahead of next month's trial, claiming Baldoni's alleged smear campaign caused significant reputational and financial damage. According to People, Lively's attorneys are seeking to remove statements by a journalist whose widely circulated 2016 interview with the actress became popular.

The actress’s legal team has also claimed that the reporter's “only link to this lawsuit” is sharing the interview one day after It Ends With Us opened in theaters on August 9, 2024, as stated in a recent motion submitted on April 11.

According to new legal documents obtained by TMZ, ahead of the trial scheduled for next month, Lively believes that Baldoni’s smear campaign against her, calling her a “mean girl”, “bully”, and “tone deaf”, has received over 176 million online impressions. The actress has reportedly hired an expert, who has concluded that posts containing these terms have damaged the actress's reputation by approximately $50 to $56 million.

Lively is seeking around $161 million from Baldoni’s company, divided into various categories: nearly $56 million for past and future lost income, about $49 million for damages related to her haircare business losses, roughly $22 million associated with her Betty Buzz beverage brand, and other amounts, including the reputational damage.

Lively was criticized by fans online for being a “mean girl” after the reporter published a YouTube video on August 10, 2024, titled “The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job.” In the video, the two actresses responded to the reporter's reference to Lively's pregnancy in a manner that some described as sarcastic. The actress was pregnant with her daughter Inez at the time, according to reports.

According to the Daily Mail, sources say the legal battle has taken a significant toll on Lively. The case has reportedly put pressure on her marriage to Reynolds, with the couple said to be considering relocating to the U.K.

One insider told The Daily Mail, “I think she’s just so tired. This has taken a lot out of her. She’s just not always there when you talk to her.” Shedding light on the issues in their marriage, the insider revealed, "They used to have big dinner parties, and I don’t think they’ve had them for a while now. I think it’s just too much for her. I don’t think they’re being very social these days. No one is saying they have problems, but they’re just preoccupied, and I think it’s all about the case. It’s stressful.”