Blake Lively Requests Payment for Legal Costs in Case Against Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively 要求 Justin Baldoni 支付法律費用
Introduction
Blake Lively has officially asked the court to pay her back approximately $8 million in legal fees and costs. This request follows a legal settlement with Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios.
Blake Lively 已正式要求法院令對方償還約 800 萬美元的法律費用。此要求是在與 Justin Baldoni 及 Wayfarer Studios 達成法律和解後提出的。
Main Body
This request comes from a long legal battle that started in December 2024. At that time, Ms. Lively claimed that Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios committed sexual harassment and retaliation during the filming of 'It Ends With Us'. In response, Mr. Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit in January 2025, accusing Ms. Lively and Ryan Reynolds of defamation and invasion of privacy. However, the court dismissed this countersuit in June 2025, stating that Ms. Lively's claims were protected under California law.
此要求源於一場始於 2024 年 12 月的長期法律鬥爭。當時 Lively 女士聲稱 Baldoni 先生與 Wayfarer Studios 在拍攝《It Ends With Us》期間有性騷擾與報復行為。作為回應，Baldoni 先生於 2025 年 1 月提起 4 億美元的反訴，指控 Lively 女士與 Ryan Reynolds 毀謗及侵犯隱私。然而，法院於 2025 年 6 月駁回了此項反訴，稱 Lively 女士的指控受加州法律保護。
Although the two parties reached a settlement in May 2026, the specific financial details were not made public, and Ms. Lively did not receive any money. Nevertheless, Judge Lewis J. Liman ruled that Ms. Lively has the right to recover legal costs from the dismissed countersuit. Consequently, her lawyers have submitted a detailed list of expenses totaling over $8 million, which includes attorney fees and other costs from two different law firms.
儘管雙方於 2026 年 5 月達成和解，但具體的財務細節未予公開，且 Lively 女士未收到任何款項。即便如此，法官 Lewis J. Liman 裁定 Lively 女士有權從被駁回的反訴中追回法律費用。因此，她的律師提交了一份詳細的開支清單，總計超過 800 萬美元，其中包括兩家不同律師事務所的律師費及其他費用。
Ms. Lively's lawyers emphasized that the defendants used an aggressive legal strategy to exhaust her money and scare witnesses. On the other hand, Mr. Baldoni's representatives asserted that this new request is an attempt to ignore the terms of the previous settlement. They argue that the settlement already resolved the issue, especially since the defendants did not pay the $300 million in damages that Ms. Lively had originally requested.
Lively 女士的律師強調，被告採取激進的法律策略以耗盡其資金並恐嚇證人。另一方面，Baldoni 先生的代表則聲稱，此次新要求是企圖無視先前和解協議的條款。他們主張和解已解決該問題，尤其是被告並未支付 Lively 女士最初要求的 3 億美元損害賠償。
Conclusion
The court is now reviewing the requested amount, and Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios must provide their response by July 13.
法院目前正在審核所請求的金額，Baldoni 先生與 Wayfarer Studios 必須在 7 月 13 日前提供回應。
Vocabulary Learning
⚡ The Logic of 'Connectors'
At the A2 level, you likely use simple words like and, but, and because. To reach B2, you need Logical Transitions. These are words that tell the reader how two ideas are connected (e.g., is it a surprise? a result? a contrast?).
Look at these three heavy-hitters from the text:
1. The 'Surprise' Shift: Nevertheless
- Context: The parties settled Nevertheless, the judge said she can still get money.
- B2 Secret: Use this instead of but when you want to say "Despite what I just said, this is still true." It adds a professional, academic tone to your speaking.
2. The 'Chain Reaction': Consequently
- Context: The judge ruled in her favor Consequently, the lawyers sent a bill.
- B2 Secret: This is the "grown-up" version of so. It shows a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
- A2: I was tired, so I slept. $
- B2: I was exhausted; consequently, I fell asleep immediately.
3. The 'Flip Side': On the other hand
- Context: Lively says the strategy was aggressive On the other hand, Baldoni says she is ignoring the settlement.
- B2 Secret: Use this to balance two opposing arguments. It signals to the listener that you are being fair and looking at both sides of a situation.
🛠️ Quick Upgrade Guide
| Instead of... (A2) | Try using... (B2) | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| But | Nevertheless | To show a surprising contrast |
| So | Consequently | To show a formal result |
| But / Also | On the other hand | To compare two different opinions |