A federal judge awarded Blake Lively legal fees on Friday in her ongoing dispute with Justin Baldoni, following their recent settlement over the film "It Ends With Us." The ruling does not specify the monetary amount, but represents a partial victory for the actress after months of legal wrangling.

Lively settled her retaliation claims last month without financial compensation, but retained the right to pursue legal fees through California's anti-SLAPP law. This legislation prevents defamation suits from being used to intimidate harassment complainants. Judge Lewis A. Liman found Lively's sexual misconduct complaints met the law's requirements because she acted without malice.

The judge's 47-page order rejected Baldoni's argument that Lively fabricated harassment allegations. Liman noted that Baldoni and his associates provided no evidence supporting malicious intent claims. Both parties agreed not to appeal the decision, bringing closure to a case that threatened to become a high-profile trial in Manhattan federal court.

This ruling sets a precedent for how Hollywood handles harassment complaints and subsequent litigation. The decision strengthens protections for accusers facing defamation countersuits, potentially deterring future retaliation campaigns in the entertainment industry.