Ryan Reynolds toasted his wife, Blake Lively, on her 39th birthday amid her latest legal victory.
“August 25th is this family’s Super Bowl. Happy Birthday to the very best human I know,” Reynolds, 49, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, August 26, alongside several throwback photos of the couple. “You’re not just another courageous and deeply kind genius. You’re also unreasonably cute.”
He continued, “I know how lucky I am that you were born. Every time I’ve ever hit my head, it’s YOUR life that flashes before my eyes.”
That same day, Us confirmed that Lively’s request for her It Ends With Us costar and director, Justin Baldoni, to cover her legal fees had been partially granted. In court documents obtained by Us, the Gossip Girl alum was awarded $363,245.40 in attorney’s fees and $44,206.25 in additional costs.
Lively, who originally requested $8 million in damages, subsequently issued a statement through her attorneys.
“Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties lost their meritless retaliatory $400 million lawsuit, which two different courts held was designed to stifle public criticism and silence Blake Lively and others,” Lively’s lawyers Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb told Us in a statement. “This first-ever award of fees and costs under this California law is historic, and demonstrates that there are real consequences of bringing retaliatory lawsuits. As we have said from day one, Blake Lively’s case was never about money, it was about accountability.”
They continued, “Blake Lively’s lawsuit exposed an industry of secret online smear campaigns that largely target women, and unsurprisingly involve the same players. She lifted the curtain for other victims, and set the precedent for others to come forward and expose similar conduct. This result demonstrates that the legal system is not as easily manipulated as social media, and still functions as a force for accountability.”
Lively named Baldoni, 42, in a 2023 lawsuit, accusing the Jane the Virgin alum of sexual harassment, fostering a hostile work environment and attempting to destroy her reputation via a social media smear campaign when they worked together on It Ends With Us. Baldoni vehemently denied the accusations and filed a defamation suit against Lively, which was dismissed by a judge earlier this year.
Lively and Baldoni ultimately settled their legal dispute out of court in May.
After Baldoni was ordered to cover part of Lively’s legal fees on Wednesday, his attorney Bryan Freedman issued a statement.
“Section 47.1 is not a perfect law, but it is an important one designed to protect real survivors, who deserve to see this law tested and perfected in the court of law,” Freedman told Us in a statement. “Notwithstanding the fact that the law was applied in ways it was never intended for, my clients intentionally left Section 47.1 to be ruled on without any appellate rights to appeal as part of the settlement agreement, to prevent either party from overturning the law.”
Freedman added, “Today’s ruling speaks for itself. Judge Liman clearly considered the’outrageous and unreasonable’ $8 million plus demand and, in rejecting it, awarded only 5 percent of the amount sought in legal fees and costs. The ruling is a significant victory for my clients and 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.”
